Albert Field became interested in the works of Salvador Dalí after visiting the artist's "Dream of Venus" pavilion exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair in Queens, New York. Field's interest in Dalí deepened after attending the artist's 1941–42 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. He became closely acquainted with Dalí in the 1940s, meeting with him frequently upon the artist's travels to New York. During this time, Field began informally collecting information about Dalí's many works on handwritten index cards.