Title
Mail art no. 83
Subject
Mail art
Description
Two-sided postcard. Front is black-and-white photocopy with U.S. postage stamp affixed. Back is black-and-white photocopy.
Double-sided postcard featuring a collage of typed text, handwritten annotations, and printed imagery. One side includes a combination of typed correspondence, stamps, and pasted text excerpts. The sender’s address “1143 Sherman Ave Evanston, IL” appears at the top with handwritten notes reading “Stockamp Pt. 4 Chelsea” and the year “1958.” The typewritten material, titled Forum on the World State, discusses the idea of a global government, international cooperation, and war prevention. The right side bears an address to “Mike Basinski, 30 Colonial Ave, Lancaster, NY 14086,” two postage stamps—one from Tanganyika and another from the U.S. (dated 2004)—and a black-and-white photo of a family group. A printed article titled “Way of a Satellite” about early space exploration is also incorporated into the design.
The reverse side is composed of layered collage elements combining a typed letter, handwritten text, and map graphics. The letter, dated May 13, 1961, from “Le Rosey, Rolle,” is addressed to “Local Board No. 3, Kensington Village Hall, Great Neck.” It requests a one-year deferment from U.S. military service for a teacher named Richard Storrs and describes his work teaching English, mathematics, and geography at Le Rosey. Overlapping handwriting and torn map fragments labeled “IND,” “OCE,” and “MERCATOR PROJECTION” appear throughout, alongside illustrations of sailing ships and scattered handwritten notes such as “Thank you for your good...” and “The good times of maintenance.”
The reverse side is composed of layered collage elements combining a typed letter, handwritten text, and map graphics. The letter, dated May 13, 1961, from “Le Rosey, Rolle,” is addressed to “Local Board No. 3, Kensington Village Hall, Great Neck.” It requests a one-year deferment from U.S. military service for a teacher named Richard Storrs and describes his work teaching English, mathematics, and geography at Le Rosey. Overlapping handwriting and torn map fragments labeled “IND,” “OCE,” and “MERCATOR PROJECTION” appear throughout, alongside illustrations of sailing ships and scattered handwritten notes such as “Thank you for your good...” and “The good times of maintenance.”
Creator
Warren, Chelsea
Publisher
Poetry Collection, Special Collections, University Libraries
State University of New York at Buffalo
Poetry Collection, Special Collections, University Libraries
Date
2005
Contributor
Basinski, Michael
Recipient: Basinski, Michael
Basinski, Michael
Rights
Type
Postcards
Image
Still image
Text
Identifier
Mail Art The Poetry Collection Box #1
MA0083
LIB-PC001
Date Created
2/17/2006
Date Modified
5/25/2006
Extent
9 x 14 cm.
Medium
Paper (Fiber product)
Collection
Citation
Warren, Chelsea, “Mail art no. 83,” Digital Collections - University at Buffalo Libraries, accessed October 20, 2025, https://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/items/show/593.