Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey

 Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey Exhibition Copy Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey Curious George, the rascal monkey of countless adventures, would never have seen the light of day without the determination and courage of his creators: illustrator H. A. Rey (1898–1977) and his wife, author and artist Margret Rey (1906–1996). They were both born in Hamburg to Jewish families and lived together in Paris from 1936 to 1940. Hours before the Nazis marched into the city in June 1940, the Reys fled on bicycles carrying drawings for their children’s stories including one about a mischievous monkey, then named Fifi. Not only did they save their animal characters, but the Reys themselves were saved by their illustrations when authorities found them in their belongings. This may explain why saving the day after a narrow escape became the premise of their Curious George stories. H. A. Rey (né Hans Augusto Reyersbach) had no formal art training, but in the early 1920s he designed and lithographed circus posters in Hamburg. Margret Rey (née Margarete Waldstein) studied art and photography at the Bauhaus School and then worked in advertising firms and photographic studios in Germany and England in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The two first met in Hamburg before Hans departed for Rio de Janeiro in 1925, to work for a relative. They were married in 1935, after Margret joined him there, following Hitler’s ascent to power in Germany. An extended honeymoon took them to Paris, where the Reys stayed on and began working on children’s books. Filled with gentle humor and illustrated with H. A. Rey’s vivid watercolors, their stories were usually formulated by Hans and later developed by Margret into a full plot. After their fateful escape from the city and a four-­‐month journey across France, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil, the couple settled in New York in the fall of 1940. In all, the Reys authored and illustrated over thirty books, most of them for children. Seventy years after the arrival of Curious George in America, the monkey’s antics have been translated into over a dozen languages including Hebrew and Yiddish, to the delight of readers, young and old, around the world. All works in the exhibition are by H. A. Rey unless otherwise noted. Curious George – Case 1 List of “infractions” committed by Curious George United States, late 1960s or 1970s Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey added an eighth “infraction” on the back of this humorous list: “Can’t be finger printed because he has 20 fingers.” Unpublished drawings United States, c. 1950s–60s Pencil on paper 1 H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Unpublished sequence United States, c. 1950s–60s Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi MARGRET AND H. A. REY IN FRANCE, 1936 TO 1940 When Margret and H. A. Rey arrived in Paris in early 1936, they had planned to spend their four week honeymoon at the Terrass Hotel in Montmartre. Instead, they remained there for four years. As shown in Margret’s photographs and H. A. Rey’s detailed journals, the couple reveled in the city’s offerings—its life by the Seine, cafés, movie theaters, and museums. “[We] might still be there had the Second World War not started,” H. A. Rey would later say. While H. A. Rey surveyed Paris through his drawings and sketched animals at the zoo in Bois de Boulogne, Margret captured the city’s streets and cafés with her lens. Her photographs, however, were not developed until 2002 when the rolls of film were found among the art and papers she willed to the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi Following the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939 and France’s declaration of war against Germany, the Reys first sought refuge in the southern region of Gers and later in Normandy, fleeing Paris for the third and last time on June 12, 1940. Despite the difficulties, the Reys were prolific in France, publishing seven books from 1937 through 1939 (three in both French and English) and completing the manuscripts and drawings for at least four others later published in America. The stories they created during their last year in France are primarily about journeys and escape, the couple’s main preoccupation at the time. They display, however, a disarming innocence and are drawn in buoyant colors, a testimony to the Reys’ creativity and unstinting optimism during those trying times. WALL WORK Left to right: Fishermen at the River Seine H. A. Rey at the rooftop of the Terrass Hotel overlooking Paris H. A. Rey at a Paris café Paris Street Photographs by Margret Rey (American, b. Germany, 1906–1996) Paris, late 1930s–early 1940 Courtesy of H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Wedding announcement of Margret and H. A. Rey Rio de Janeiro, August 1935 Printed on paper 2 H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Hans Augusto Reyersbach and Margarete Waldstein married in Rio on August 16, 1935, and soon after changed their names: he became H. A. Rey while she shortened her first name to Margret. In their wedding announcement on view here, H. A. Rey included a humorous portrait of the couple, with Margret, the photographer, depicted as a camera, and Hans, the painter, rendered as a walking easel. Margret Rey (American, b. Germany, 1906–1996) Portrait of H. A. Rey Paris, 1939 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi As opposed to her husband, Margret Rey had formal art and photography training, having attended the Bauhaus School at Dessau and the Düsseldorf Art Academy, and had been exposed to the latest trends in graphic design while working at the studio of Hans Schleger (known as “Zero”), a close friend. In the late 1920s she had a solo exhibition of her watercolors in Berlin, yet very few of her early works have survived. This is the only known portrait she made of her husband dating to their period in France. CASE WORK 1 Cover of dummy for La Rue: Découpages à colorer (unpublished) and decoupages Paris, c. 1938 Pen and ink, color pencil, and crayon on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi One of H. A. Rey’s découpages for La Rue on view here features a couple riding a tandem bicycle. The couple bears some resemblance to Margret and H. A. Rey at the time. H. A. Rey’s Journal for 1938 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The French inscription on the journal’s address page reads, “In case of loss please return this agenda to H. A. Reyersbach at 12 Rue de Maistre, Terrass Hotel, Montmartre,” the Reys’ lodgings while in Paris. 3 CASE WORK 2 Sketch Book France, 1936–40 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey’s deep love for animals developed early in life. It was at Hamburg’s famous Hagenbeck Zoo that he learned to imitate animal sounds and began sketching animals. During his time in Paris, H. A. Rey paid numerous visits to the zoo in Bois de Boulogne, as seen here. Some of his drawings from that time are contained in this sketchbook. Le Zoo (Paris: Hachette, 1938) Printed on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This is one of two toy books H. A. Rey created in Paris, the other being Le Cirque, also published in 1938. In order to protect the unique design devised by Rey for the assembling of the animals, Le Zoo was protected by a patent rather than the usual copyright. H. A. Rey’s Journal for 1938 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In the opening for October 15–16, H. A. Rey noted one of his many visits to the zoo in Bois de Boulogne. The inscriptions “Klappbuch” (lift-­‐the-­‐flap book), “Garage,” and “Schnecke” (snail) indicate that he was working on illustrations for Anybody at Home? (1939). Also mentioned is a “sick visit” (“Kranken Besuch”) to a certain “Enoch.” The name, often cited in the journals, may allude to Kurt Enoch (1894–1982), a prominent publisher in Europe and later at Penguin Books in New York. Also a Hamburg Jew living in Paris at the time, Enoch published H. A. Rey’s first book in 1923—a collection of lithographs inspired by the writings of Christian Morgenstern (1871–1914), Germany’s great poet of the grotesque. 4 Anybody at Home? (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1942) Printed on paper Private collection of Louise Borden Hotel Scenic This scenic structure is inspired by H. A. Rey’s depiction of the Terrass Hotel in the unpublished découpages in the case to your right. Margret and H. A. Rey lived at the hotel in Montmartre for four years. FLEEING PARIS FOR THE FIRST TIME In early September 1939, soon after World War II broke out, the Reys left Paris for the safety of Château Feuga, an old castle, then owned by friends, in the southern region of Gers. “It feels ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books,” wrote H. A. Rey. Yet, far from the city’s distractions, his creativity was stimulated. Work was interrupted on rare occasions—either to help with the grape harvest, repair a power outage, or a bout of the flu. Otherwise, he was drawing daily while maintaining an assiduous correspondence with his publishers, despite the fact that the nearest post office was an hour’s walk away. “We set up a studio in one of the castle towers,” H. A. Rey later related. “The French became suspicious and ordered gendarmes to inspect the premises. They feared bombs were in the making. Instead, they found ‘Curious George’ [then named Fifi] on the drawing boards.” The irresistible monkey had saved his creators for the first time. By January 1940, the Reys were back in Paris. Views of Château Feuga Photographs by Margret Rey (American, b. Germany, 1906–1996) France, September–December 1939 Courtesy of H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi FIFI: THE ADVENTURES OF A MONKEY “This, the first Curious George, we did in 1939 in the tower of an old castle . . . in the South of France,” stated Margret Rey about the story that made her and her husband famous. Focusing on one of the monkeys first featured in Raffy and the 9 Monkeys, the Reys created their beloved character who is always on the run while they were on the run. The book was likely in process by the time they reached Château Feuga in Southern France and H. A. Rey completed the illustrations after the couple returned to Paris in January 1940. The story, which begins with Fifi in the wild and his first encounter with the man with the yellow hat, has biographical undertones. While working in Brazil in the late 1920s and early 1930s, selling goods along the Amazon River, H. A. Rey had ample opportunities to observe and sketch monkeys in their habitat. He would later complain of the tropical heat, which may explain the wide-­‐brimmed head cover worn by the man with the yellow hat, the parental figure in the story, and a self-­‐portrait of sorts. The Reys kept two pet monkeys in their Rio de Janeiro apartment, and took them along when they sailed to London in early 1936. In the story, Fifi’s safe arrival at port after his sea journey from the jungle to the city suggests a happier ending than that experienced by the Reys' marmosets, who did not survive the cold sea voyage. The character’s “narrow escape” after some mischief or mishap would become a constant feature in the monkey’s future adventures, and foreshadows his creators’ flight from Nazi-­‐occupied France. 5 Above all, what would gain the little monkey so many fans is his curiosity and spunk—traits that many have attributed to Margret Rey’s personality, likely an inspiration and often the model for the character. “All my life I spent standing behind Hans at his drawing board,” she once said. “I made all of the movements that George makes.” Wall Work Title page for Fifi: The Adventures of a Monkey Unpublished France, 1939-­‐40 Pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In his diary entries for the month of March 1940, H. A. Rey noted both the book’s completion as well as the drawing of a second set of illustrations for Fifi. This may explain the Reys’ later reports of carrying the drawings for the book when they fled in June 1940, while the manuscript (probably accompanied by some sample illustrations) had been sent ahead to America by May 1940 to be considered for publication. After the Reys’ arrival in the United States, and the changing of their monkey hero’s name from the French Fifi to the Americanized Curious George, H. A. Rey noted this change on the book’s original title page. Final illustration for “This is George. He lived in Africa.” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for “One day George saw a man. He had on a large yellow straw hat.” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This illustration bears a dedication from H. A. Rey to Dr. Lena de Grummond, the founder of the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, today the main repository of the Reys’ art and papers. Donated in 1972, this work was one of the Reys’ first gifts to the budding collection. H. A. Rey, who rarely signed or dated his work, included both his signature and the drawing’s date, “Paris, spring 1940,” at the time of presentation. Final illustration for “George . . . and the man with the yellow hat walked off the ship . . . ” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 6 The sea voyage from the jungle to the city features the little monkey’s first escapades. While trying to imitate some flying seagulls, he falls into the water: “‘Man overboard!’ the sailors cried as they threw him a lifebelt. After that George was more careful to be a good monkey, until at last, the long trip was over.” As depicted here, the ship’s arrival with the yellow-­‐hatted man and George happily displaying their identification papers, stands in contrast to the Reys’ plight at the time the illustration was created, when they were struggling to secure the necessary papers to leave France. Final illustration for “He crawled into bed and fell asleep at once” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi After having arrived at the house of the man with the yellow hat, George felt very tired “after a good meal and a good pipe.” Here the little monkey crawls into bed in a room that may bear some similarities to the Reys’ quarters at the Terrass Hotel in Paris. Final illustration for “The firemen rushed into the house” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Alone at home for the first time, George cannot resist experimenting with the phone, accidentally dialing the fire station: “The firemen rushed to the telephone, ‘Hello! Hello!’ they said. But there was no answer.” After tracing the call on their map, they jump onto the fire engines bound for the house of the man with the yellow hat. In the illustration on view here, the firemen rush into the house only to find out that there was no fire, but just “a naughty little monkey.” George tries to run away but gets caught in the telephone wire. Final illustration for “George wanted to get out” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This is the first illustration to showcase the monkey’s narrow escape from danger or pursuers, a motif that will become central to Curious George’s future capers. 7 Final illustration for “At first the wind blew in great gusts” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) France, 1939–40 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Following his escape from prison George encounters a balloon seller. Feeling that “he MUST have a bright red balloon,” he reaches for it but instead of one balloon the whole bunch becomes loose taking George up in the air. In this scene, the man with the yellow hat arrives just in time to rescue his little monkey friend who, after a scary ride over the city, landed on a traffic light, creating havoc in the Parisian streets. Final illustration for “to the ZOO!” Published in The Original Curious George (1998) Paris, 1940 Watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper Collection Family of Austin Olney This illustration bears H. A. Rey’s signature and is dated Paris, January 1940, indicating that he created it shortly after returning from Château Feuga. In the scene, Curious George has found a new home at the zoo, but not for long. After fleeing the zoo at the beginning of Curious George Takes a Job (1947), he settles in with the man of the yellow hat in Curious George Rides a Bike (1952), and lives with his human friend from then on. Preliminary illustration for back cover of Au Clair de La Lune and Other French Nursery Songs (1941) France, spring 1940 Watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey created most of the drawings for Au Clair de la Lune at Avranches in the early spring of 1940. When the couple returned to Paris in mid-­‐May, the city was filled with refugees following the Nazi invasion of the Low Countries earlier that month, which H. A. Rey noted in his journal, along with his slower progress on the project “due to the ongoing events.” The book was well received when released in America in 1941: “The effect is wholly enchanting . . . . The familiar songs . . . seem all the more necessary to preserve as a heritage which we have shared in happier days with France,” wrote a New York Times reviewer. HAD A VERY NARROW ESCAPE On the early morning of June 12, 1940, the Reys fled Paris. “Mr. Rey escaped last June . . . by bicycle with his wife, his drawings and his manuscripts. He went first to Lisbon and thence to Brazil, where he had previously become a naturalized citizen,” reported The New York Times on March 9, 1941. Yet the details of the couple’s fateful escape became better known only recently with the publication of Louise Borden’s The Journey that Saved Curious George (2005). Relying on H. A. Rey’s correspondence and on his journal listing expenses, consulates applied to, and cities passed by, Borden was able to reconstruct 8 the Reys’ path to freedom. A number of the original documents first uncovered by Borden are on view here. Follow the Reys on their incredible journey – traveling through Europe by bicycle and train, across the Atlantic by boat, and on to the United States – illustrated on this wall. During the final leg of the European part of their journey, the Reys were saved once again by their animal characters when, subject to a search, they were found to be carrying drawings for children’s books. Margret later related that their art was also a savior as proof of their occupation when it was time to obtain the American visas. “Have had a very narrow escape,” wrote H. A. Rey in a telegram he sent to Brazil on June 26, 1940, shortly after arriving in Lisbon—then a haven for refugees and a main gateway out of Europe. On July 21, forty days after they had left Paris, the couple boarded the SS Angola bound for Rio de Janeiro. There they spent two months, before departing for New York, where Margret Rey’s sister lived. Wall Work Margret and H. A. Rey French identity cards Print and pen and ink on paper; photographs H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Margret and H. A. Rey Brazilian Passport Print and pen and ink on paper; photographs H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Case Work H. A. Rey’s Journal March 1940 and April 13–16, 1940 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The journal for March 1940 details what the Reys needed to do in preparation for leaving France, including their applications to the Portuguese, American, and Spanish consulates. During the week of April 13–16, 1940, H. A. Rey noted “Abreise nach Avranches” (“departure for Avranches”). As their exit from France continued to be delayed, the Reys fled Paris for a second time to the Normandy town, returning to the French capital in mid-­‐May 1940. Letter from H. A. Rey to British editor Harold Raymond Paris, January 22, 1940 Typescript on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this letter, H. A. Rey informs his London editor at Chatto and Windus that he is back in Paris after having returned from the south, and asks him whether the manuscript for Fifi has been 9 sent to America. He mentions that otherwise he might be able to take it there himself soon. This is the first reference found in the correspondence to the Reys’ prospective immigration to America: “I intend to go to the U.S.A. about in April, if I succeed in overcoming all the difficulties which arise nowadays if one wants to go there” Letter sent to H. A. Rey by Harold Raymond London, March 6, 1940 Typescript and print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In preparation for departing from Paris, the Reys spent the winter and spring of 1940 trying to gather all of their manuscripts and drawings that were in the hands of publishers, with the intention of getting them out of France themselves or having them securely placed in America before departing. In this letter, the Reys’ London publisher suggests that they send the manuscripts for both Whiteblack and Fifi (to be later published as Curious George) in advance to the United States, to which H. A. Rey agrees. H. A. Rey’s Journal June 9–12, 1940 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This opening features the events that would change the Reys’ life forever. On June 11, H. A. Rey notes an expense of 1,600 francs for the purchase of bicycles. On June 12, he writes “Departed from Paris at 5:30, by bicycle to Étampes. Slept at farmhouse in a room with a servant and a woman refugee.” Letter sent to H. A. Rey by French editor Jacques Schiffrin St. Jean le Thomas (Normandy), June 2, 1940 Pen and ink and print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Written days before the Reys escaped from France, this letter includes an emotional farewell from their editor, who, fearing for their uncertain future, asks in closing, “Until when?” At this time, Jacques Schiffrin had already relocated to the countryside. The Gallimard family and staff would take refuge there following the German occupation of Paris. Schiffrin, who was Jewish, would be fired two months later, when the publishing house was “Aryanized” by the Nazis. It was André Gide, the famous French author and a close friend, who enabled the rescue and immigration of Schiffrin and his family to New York through the offices of American journalist Varian Fry. Operating from Marseille in 1940–41, Fry helped some two thousand artists, writers, and political figures flee Nazi persecution. 10 Telegram sent by H. A. Rey to banking agency in Rio de Janeiro Lisbon, June 26, 1940 Pen and ink and print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this telegram sent to Rio shortly after the couple’s arrival in Lisbon, a succinct “have had a very narrow escape” summarizes their arduous journey. H. A. Rey’s reference to the loss of all baggage, likely alludes to the contents of the two suitcases the Reys had attached to their bikes when they fled, with the exception of the drawings they brought to America. The rest of their belongings were left behind in Paris. H. A. Rey notes in his diary entry for June 3, 1940, almost 2,000 francs in expenses for baggage and insurance, which may indicate that at least some of their belongings were shipped before their departure. They were reunited with their possessions several months after their arrival in the United States. Letter sent by H. A. Rey to Grace Hogarth of Chatto and Windus Lisbon, June 26, 1940 Pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey mentions in this letter the fortnight of strenuous travel, after a close escape from the Nazis, and goes on to request that any manuscripts still in the hands of the British publisher Chatto and Windus be sent to his sister-­‐in-­‐law’s address in America. Despite having just survived a perilous journey and still awaiting departure for Brazil, H. A. Rey never ceases to conduct business with his publishers, writing and receiving letters while in Lisbon, and arranging to have his mail forwarded to Rio before leaving Europe. Letter sent to H. A. Rey in Lisbon from Harold Raymond London, July 3, 1940 Typescript and print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this letter, the Reys’ London editor expresses his relief having heard that the couple had reached Lisbon, “one of the few safe spots in Europe,” laments the situation in France, and relates that in London Nazi aerial attacks are imminent. He then proceeds with an update on his company’s latest efforts to have the Reys’ books published in America. On the back of the page, he closes by saying that they still have a fair stock of books by the Reys to sell “if anybody in this country is going to have a penny to spend on anything.” H. A. Rey’s Journal July 22–27, 1940, and October 1–3, 1940 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 11 The entries during July 22–27 were completed by H.A. Rey aboard the SS Angola and mention the islands of Madeira and São Vicente (Cape Verde), where the ship docked on its way to Rio de Janeiro. After over two months in Brazil, H.A. Rey succinctly recorded the last leg of the couple’s journey. On October 2 he noted “ab. n/NY” abbreviated in German for “departure for New York,” and on October 3 he indicated that from that date until October 14, they were aboard a ship (the SS Uruguay). List of passengers of the SS Angola Printed on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Bound for Rio de Janeiro, the SS Angola departed Lisbon on July 21, 1940. The Reys are listed under their complete names—Hans Augusto and Margareth Elisabeth Reyersbach—among the ship’s passengers, many of whom were also Jewish refugees. Copy of letter sent to H. A. Rey in Rio de Janeiro by Harold Raymond London, August 1, 1940 Typescript on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi After informing H. A. Rey of the failure of the latest negotiations for Fifi and Whiteblack to be published in America, Raymond concludes, “I shall feel very much relieved when I hear from you that you and your wife are safe and sound in Rio,” adding that London is “still on tiptoes with expectancy, though I myself would be prepared to bet 3 to 1 that Hitler will not brace himself to invade us.” Hitler would unleash air attacks over England a month later. Letter sent to H. A. Rey in Rio de Janeiro by Harold Raymond London, October 15, 1940 Typescript and print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this letter, the Reys’ British editor rejoices over knowing that the couple is now “on the right side of the Atlantic,” meaning in the safety of distant Brazil, and out of Lisbon “overflowing with humanity,” an allusion to the many refugees trying to flee Europe from the Portuguese capital at the time. In the last paragraph, he reports on the ongoing Nazi bombing of London, to which its population has grown so accustomed to “that we can’t sleep without [the racket].” 12 Letter from H. A. Rey to Harold Raymond New York, February 3, 1941 Typescript and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This is the first letter sent by H. A. Rey to his London publisher after finally arriving in New York in October 1940. In it he acknowledges receipt of copies of some of his published books, and reports on having been reunited with the manuscripts that had been left behind in Europe when he fled. Many of the letters sent to him during the Reys’ journey to safety “all traveled half around the world” before reaching him. Zozo (London: Chatto and Windus, 1942) Printed on paper Private collection of Louise Borden This is the first British edition of the first Curious George book. Published during the reign of King George VI, the monkey’s name was changed to Zozo in deference to the monarch. The book’s jacket mentions Hitler and provides one of the earliest accounts of the Reys’ escape from France. WHITEBLACK THE PENGUIN SEES THE WORLD The idea for this picture book first came to H. A. Rey in 1937, when he was working at the Paris World’s Fair for the Brazilian Pavilion, near a penguin display. In the book, Whiteblack, the storyteller of Penguinland, sets out on a globe-­‐trotting pursuit of new adventures. The illustrations, most of which were created by Rey while at Château Feuga in Southern France, offer a rare glimpse of his playful calligraphy. The manuscript was later dispatched to America for possible placement with a publisher. Drawings for the story were likely carried by the Reys as well, on their escape from Paris. Once in New York, the couple exchanged some correspondence about the book with Ursula Nordstrom at the publisher Harper & Brothers in 1942. The legendary editor’s suggestion that Whiteblack be “shortened, sharpened, and improved,” may have deterred the Reys from further pursuing the project. The book was only published in 2000, after both illustrator and author had died, following the discovery of the vibrant watercolors among the art and papers willed by Margret Rey to the de Grummond Collection of Children’s Literature. Wall Work Final illustration for “Whiteblack the Penguin has a serious talk with his friends . . . ” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 13 Final illustration for “What a pity, his beautyful [sic] boat is gone!” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Likely a stand-­‐in for the artist, Whiteblack, the indefatigable traveler, finds haven on a French warship. In the illustration, which H. A. Rey created shortly after the declaration of war against Germany by France, he expresses confidence in the latter’s military power. Apart from his native German, the artist mastered a number of additional languages including English, French, and Portuguese, all of which he used in his diaries. Still, occasional spelling mistakes are found in his English text, as seen here. Final illustration for “With each step the camel’s back moves up and down . . . ” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for “The plane took off and flew over town . . . ” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for “But what is that?” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Whiteblack, a sort of comic self-­‐portrait of H. A. Rey, ultimately gets caught in the net of fishermen aboard a boat named “Peggy” (Margret Rey’s nickname), possibly a humorous allusion to the Reys’ courtship and marriage. Final illustration for “Poor Whiteblack, the fishermen did not mean to catch you . . . ” Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 14 Case Work Statement of donation of artwork by H. A. Rey to Margret Rey Château Feuga, Gers, France, December 1939 Pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Bearing a “stamp” inscribed “Knutsch” (“smooch” in German), this statement in which he donates a number of works to his wife was likely drawn in jest by H. A. Rey for the amusement of his beloved Peggy (Margret Rey’s nickname). Fifi: The Adventures of a Monkey (later published as Curious George), Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, and How Do You Get There? are omitted in the statement. This is consistent with H. A. Rey’s notations in his diaries indicating that he was still working on the first two books at the time and only started on the third one after the couple’s return to Paris in January 1940. Unpublished illustration for Tit for Tat (1942) Paris, c. 1937–39 Pen and ink, color pencil, and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In the donation statement also exhibited here, H. A. Rey includes his drawings for Tit for Tat. The illustrations had originally appeared as a full page of cartoons in the French periodical Marianne, on June 30, 1937. Later H. A. Rey closely redrew the cartoons as watercolors, intending to publish them as a book. The twelve originals were missing for some time while entrusted to the Reys’ British publisher. Eleven of them, including this one, were located after the couple had fled Paris, and were sent to Margret’s sister in America to be reunited with the Reys after their arrival in New York. Zebrology (London: Chatto and Windus, 1937) Printed on paper Private collection of Louise Borden Mentioned in H. A. Rey’s statement of donation to his wife is the art he created for Zebrology, an adult picture book, in which the origin of the zebra is traced to two horses, one white and one black. The title, he once said, “though not a word found in Webster’s [dictionary] . . . was undoubtedly English.” Walter Lorraine, editor at Houghton Mifflin, the Reys’ publisher in America, would later refer to Zebrology as “a very early black-­‐white racial statement” by asking “whether the zebra was white with black stripes or black with white ones.” H. A. Rey’s Journal September 9–12, 1939, and November 5–8, 1939 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The entry for Sunday, September 10, 1939, features the first mention of “Feuga” in H. A. Rey’s journal, likely referring to the couple’s arrival at Château Feuga on that day. In the opening for 15 November 5–8, 1939, both “Penguin” and “Cover Fifi” are noted, indicating that H. A. Rey was working on the illustrations for both Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World and Fifi: The Adventures of a Monkey (published as Curious George in 1941) while at Château Feuga. At the end of this section of his diary H. A. Rey noted the instructions on how to reach their remote location: “Commune St. Mézard/Station ‘Castex-­‐Lectourois’/Change at Agen/Bordeaux [train] line.” Dummy cover for Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) France, late 1939–early 1940 Watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The photograph reproduced here was taken by Margret Rey soon after the couple’s return to Paris in January 1940. It shows H. A. Rey holding the dummy for Whiteblack on view here. Letter from H. A. Rey to French editor Jacques Schiffrin of Gallimard Château Feuga, September 15, 1939 Typescript on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This is one of the first letters H.A. Rey wrote at Château Feuga. In it he both expresses anxiety over the political situation and reflects on how “life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during war time.” Rey would not hear back from Jacques Schiffrin for a number of months. The distinguished Russian-­‐born Jewish editor had been drafted into the French army, serving for a few months despite being fifty years old at the time and in poor health. Letter to H. A. Rey at Château Feuga from British editor Harold Raymond of Chatto and Windus London, November 16, 1939 Typescript on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this letter, the Reys’ British editor expresses strong interest in publishing The Adventures of Fifi in 1940 “unless London becomes like Warsaw.” But the impending Nazi bombing of Britain, and new restrictions on the importation of books from France, would prevent the project from being completed then. Instead, the manuscript for Fifi (eventually released in this country as 16 Curious George) was sent to a publishing agent in America in the early spring of 1940, and the Reys carried drawings for the book when they escaped. New Year Greeting Card for 1940 France, probably late 1939 Pen and ink and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This is one of the earliest known greeting cards by H. A. Rey, and was probably created by him in late 1939 while at Château Feuga. The motto inscribed on the card—“Progress may be slow”—
points to the Reys’ optimistic outlook during difficult times. RAFFY AND THE 9 MONKEYS Featuring a lonely giraffe named Raffy and the nine monkeys that become its playmates, the Reys’ first picture book came about by chance. H. A. Rey’s cartoons of a giraffe for the Paris periodical Marianne had caught the eye of Jacques Schiffrin at Gallimard, the French publishing house, who suggested they create a children’s book based on them. After trying the story on his young son André (today a leading figure in the American publishing world), Jacques Schiffrin decided to proceed with the book. The French and British editions came out in 1939, with an American version, titled Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys, released in 1942. The Reys soon decided that Fifi, the youngest of the nine monkeys, deserved his own picture book and set to work on it. Later questioned about why all his monkeys, including George, had no tails, H. A. Rey replied that his simian creations are a make-­‐believe cross between a gibbon and an ape, adding that when he first drew the story of Raffy “the giraffe’s long neck and legs plus tails of all nine little monkeys made the drawings look like spaghetti!” Wall Work Dummy illustration for “Then why don’t you stay with me for a while?” Raffy and the 9 Monkeys (1939) Paris, 1939 Pen and ink and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi “Children find nothing strange in a monkey sliding down the back of a giraffe or seesawing on his neck and tail,” the Reys remarked. Yet within the realm of fiction, children feel the need for accuracy as shown by a letter the Reys received from a young fan: “The giraffe lived in a tall narrow house, and in the house was a long bed that the monkeys slept in. The little boy from Wichita wondered how we got the big bed in through the narrow door! Everything must be very logical.” Final illustration for “Here are the names of the nine monkeys . . . ” Published in Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys (1942) Paris, 1939 Pen and ink and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The text for this watercolor, created by H. A. Rey in 1939 for publication in France and England, was later modified for use in the American edition of the book first published in 1942. Since 17 Curious George had been released in 1941, one of the nine monkeys is already called Curious George. Final cover illustration for Raffy and the 9 Monkeys (1939) (British edition) Paris, 1939 Pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor on pasted paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for “George climbed up until he was in the sunshine again, high above the rain cloud” Raffy and the 9 Monkeys (1939) Paris, 1939 Watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for “SAILBOAT!” Raffy and the 9 Monkeys (1939) Paris, 1939 Pen and ink and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The idea of a giraffe as a sailboat first came to H. A. Rey while working on decorative maps for the Brazilian Pavilion at the Paris World’s Fair of 1937. “One morning I got a little tired,” H. A. Rey recalled. “So I started amusing myself by drawing a giraffe in the water like a sailing ship . . . I tried to hide the drawing . . . [but] Margret was too quick and so she saw it. She said, ‘It’s nice, you should do something with it.’” Cartoons of the giraffe were later published in the periodical Marianne, leading to the creation of the picture book. Case Work Sketches for Raffy and the 9 Monkeys (1939) Paris, 1937–39 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey’s Journal March 25–28, 1939 Print and pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi “Giraffenbuch” (giraffe book) is mentioned every day in this opening. H. A. Rey had begun drawings for Raffy and the 9 Monkeys in January of that year. On March 28 he notes “Abds kino [Evening cinema] Remontons les C. Ely” for Remontons les Champs Élysées (1938) one of a series of historical comedies made by French film director Sacha Guitry. The Reys were fond of cinema 18 and went to the movies periodically while in Paris. H. A. Rey mentions these outings in his diaries, often including the movies’ titles, and sometimes his own review. In an earlier entry, The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) starring Gary Cooper gets a “misérable” rating from Rey. Rafi et Les 9 Singes (Paris: Gallimard, 1939) Printed on paper Private collection of Louise Borden HOW DO YOU GET THERE? By early February 1940, during the first winter of World War II, as the Reys were trying to figure out a way to reach the safety of America, they embarked on a new project that may have seemed like the perfect antidote: a lift-­‐the-­‐flap book titled How Do You Get There? Featuring bright watercolors, the book’s simple premise—each destination can be easily reached if the appropriate means of transportation is used—stands in stark contrast to the difficulties the Reys experienced as they were approaching foreign embassies, banks, and exchange offices in an effort to flee France. The illustrations were finished by April 1940, with the couple’s British and French publishers promptly agreeing on the publication terms. Despite these successful negotiations and H. A. Rey’s intense efforts to complete the drawings at such a stressful time, How Do You Get There? would not be published in Europe. The Reys likely carried the drawings for the book when they fled, and had it published soon after their arrival in America. Final illustration for How Do You Get There? (1941) Paris, early 1940 Watercolor on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Final illustration for How Do you Get There? (1941) Paris, early 1940 Watercolor on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this illustration H. A. Rey used the image of Charlie Chaplin as “the tramp,” a personification of the vagabond who walks from one place to another. As with Chaplin, who began his film career in 1915 during World War I, the Reys brought humor to their audience during the early days of World War II. The image reproduced here shows the illustration as it appears in the book when the flap is open. 19 Final illustration for How Do You Get There? (1941) Paris, early 1940 Watercolor on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi AT HOME IN AMERICA On October 14, 1940, the Reys finally reached New York and H.A. Rey noted, “Within a month four of the manuscripts I had brought along were accepted for publication.” It was Grace Hogarth (1905–1995), an American who had worked for the couple’s British publisher in the late 1930s, who secured the deal. She had been hired by the publisher Houghton Mifflin in Boston after fleeing London with her children in anticipation of the Blitz—the sustained Nazi bombing of Britain. As Hogarth said, “it took courage to print and publish [the Reys’] colorful books in a gray wartime world.” She loved Fifi the monkey, but he needed a new name, “and one inspired day we hit on ‘Curious George.’” Hogarth intended to first publish Raffy and the 9 Monkeys, but soon opted to postpone its release: “It has occurred to us that by 1942 the Nazis may be out of Paris, in which case we might be able to buy [the printing] sheets for Raffy from [France].” This statement, pronounced a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, reflects the widespread belief in the United States that the Nazi threat in Europe would soon be repelled. In America, the Reys’ life centered on their home and neighborhood. After living at a Paris hotel for four years and being constantly on the move, the Reys finally felt at home in this country, whether in New York’s Greenwich Village, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or at their summer cottage in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. The small pleasures of everyday life and the Reys’ excitement over their new surroundings are apparent in the art they created once in the United States—from Margret’s intimate photos of New York to H. A. Rey’s charming scenes of Washington Square Park and his colorful depictions of the city’s main thoroughfares. Wall Work New Year Greeting Card for 1942 Printed on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey portrays himself depicting the Statue of Liberty, the emblem of freedom that greeted him and his wife Margret on their arrival in New York in the fall of 1940. His suitcase with painting supplies bears the couple’s second address in Greenwich Village: 42 Washington Square South. 20 Black and red color separations for “On the big ship things began to happen” Published in Curious George (Scholastic edition, New York, 1963) New York, c. 1957 Graphite, crayon, and paint on acetate H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In order to reduce publication costs for Curious George (1941), the watercolors H. A. Rey had created in France were not used. Instead he remade the artwork, producing four different drawings for each illustration—one in black containing the outline and shadows, and three others for the details in red, yellow, and blue. Printer’s plates were then created from the separate drawings. H. A. Rey adapted to American printing practices by changing his drawing style, which became less painterly and more linear. The work on view here is part of a second set of drawings he made for a 1963 edition. His original watercolors were published in 1998, two decades after the artist’s death. Probably Margret Rey (American, b. Germany, 1906–1996) H. A. Rey looking out the window in Greenwich Village New York, early 1940s Gelatin silver print H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Photographer unknown Margret Rey and other dog owners in Washington Square Park New York, c. 1940s Gelatin silver print H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Margret Rey is seen at right with Charkie, socializing with other dog owners. It was during one of these evening outings in Washington Square Park that she spoke of her desire to get away from the city. One neighbor, a television reporter who had just returned from Waterville Valley, where he had been covering the 1952 presidential election returns, recommended the tiny township. The Reys followed his advice and eventually purchased land and had a summer cottage built in the New Hampshire mountain resort in 1958. 21 Case Work Page from dummy for The Park Book (1944) by Charlotte Zolotow Pen and ink and watercolor on paper, pasted on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi “In praise of Washington Square is a new picture book for children called The Park Book by Charlotte Zolotow with a picture (by H. A. Rey) on every page,” reported The New York Times on October 15, 1944. In this dummy page, Charkie, the Reys’ cocker spaniel, is depicted sleeping by the park bench. “We always had a cocker spaniel . . . and H. A. generally managed to get him into some picture in each one of our books,” recalled Margret Rey. Sketches for The Park Book (1944) by Charlotte Zolotow New York, c. 1944 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Margret and H. A. Rey’s Miscellany Journal New York, 1941–1950 Pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This journal, kept by the Reys during the first years in New York, includes personal notes, their social calendar, titles of books to read, and information about their dogs. The opening on view is devoted to Charkie, the first of a series of cocker spaniels owned by the couple, detailing changes in weight and the dates of baths and the “worming” of the dog. “When Charkie got old and his whiskers turned white, people would say ‘Poor old dog.’ Margret soon stopped such remarks by dyeing his whiskers black,” recalled author and illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham, a friend of the couple. Miniature dummy for Pretzel (1944) by Margret Rey New York, c. 1944 Pen and ink and watercolor on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Pretzel, the story of a lovesick dachshund, was the first book authored solely by Margret Rey with H. A. Rey contributing the illustrations. This charming neighborhood scene, with Pretzel spotting his beloved Greta, is likely set in Greenwich Village. In the final illustration for this opening, H. A. Rey depicted himself smoking his pipe while reviewing a manuscript, at a window in the third floor (at the time the Reys lived in a third-­‐floor studio). 22 Wall Work Final title page for Spotty (1945) by Margret Rey Pen and ink, and watercolor on pasted paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Spotty, Margret Rey’s story of a bunny slighted by friends and family because of its spotted appearance, addresses the subject of discrimination. Published in 1945, the book was praised by the Anti-­‐Defamation League of the B’nai B’rith and translated into German as a teaching tool in the “re-­‐education” program instituted by the United States Army in Germany after World War II, as shown by the letters on display in the exhibition case below. Final illustration for “Spotty went to get the bottle of spot remover” Spotty (1945) by Margret Rey Pen and ink, and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In this illustration Spotty, feeling rejected by his “unspotted” family, tries to change his appearance. Unsuccessful, he decides to leave home, only to encounter a welcoming family of spotted bunnies just like him, with one unspotted member suffering a similar plight as Spotty had experienced in the midst of his own family. By the end of the story, spotted and unspotted bunnies have met and realized that they were all “just a little foolish . . . And then they had a big party. There was an enormous table . . . . And bunnies were sitting all around it . . . spotties and white ones, big ones and small ones . . . and they were as happy as bunnies can be.” Case Work Letter to Margret Rey from the Anti-­‐Defamation League of B’nai Brith regarding Spotty (1945) New York, March 12, 1952 Typescript and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Letter to Margret Rey from the Association of the United States Army regarding translation of Spotty into German Washington, D. C., February 26, 1951 Typescript and pen and ink on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 23 Margret Rey (American, b. Germany, 1906–1996) “History of ‘45” Typescript on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This rhymed poem by Margret Rey summarizes the main events of 1945, the year World War II ended. The composition was probably written as a New Year greeting for 1946 addressed to her husband. Margret’s light tone offsets the often serious content of her verses, which mention the deaths of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General George Patton, and the atomic bombing of Japan. Wall Work Final illustration for “She hopped so fast . . . and came to the City where there were stores and houses and automobiles” Katy No-­‐Pocket (1944) by Emmy Payne Pen and ink and watercolor on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Black and red color separations for “Now they were right in the center of the town” Curious George Takes a Job (1947) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In Curious George Takes a Job the mischievous monkey sets out on his first American adventures. In their choice of New York as locale for the story, the Reys express their fascination with their new home city. Here Curious George travels on top of a bus along Fifth Avenue, a two-­‐way street until 1966. The toy store F. A. O. Schwarz, then located on Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, has been turned into F. A. O. Brown, “Schwarz” meaning “black” in German. The branch of the New York Public Library depicted in the illustration was later demolished. At the lower right H. A. Rey, wearing a beret and smoking a pipe, carries an art portfolio, while Margret pulls Charkie’s leash. Dummy pages for end paper (above) and for “Only the water fountain goes on as it did in the day” (below) The Park Book (1944) by Charlotte Zolotow Pen and ink and watercolor on paper, pasted on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi H. A. Rey’s illustrations for The Park delighted a New York Times reviewer: “The passing scene of life in the Park is made very real, from early morning when in the pale gold light the Park cleaner comes with his long pointed pole, through the little children’s morning play hours, the baseball game and boat sailing in the fountain, the ice cream man and balloon man of the afternoon, the quiet evening when windows of the houses around the Park shine in the dark sky and the Park 24 lights look like a string of golden balls. At last the trees and benches and grass are silver in the moonlight, the people are gone and the Park is quiet, waiting for a new day to begin.” House Scenic The Reys moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts permanently in 1963 after living in New York since 1940. This scenic structure is inspired by H. A. Rey’s depiction of the house in the nearby New Year greeting card for 1964. Case Work Preliminary illustration for “May be it WAS candy” Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966) Pencil and crayon on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The plot of Curious George Goes to the Hospital is set into motion when the monkey swallows a puzzle piece and needs to be admitted to the hospital to have it removed. What ensues is a series of adventures involving X-­‐rays, minor surgery, and recovery. “To my surprise,” said Margret Rey “nobody in any country ever objected to the fact that a monkey . . . goes through the whole hospital routine.” Dummy illustration for “George tried to stop, but it was too late” Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966) Pencil and crayon on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The three drawings on view here are displayed within an exhibition case in the shape of the Reys’ house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as depicted in the New Year greeting card for 1964 on view nearby. It was at this house that the couple worked on the book, their last featuring the endearing monkey protagonist. Dummy illustration for “Betsy. . . threw her arms around George and kissed him.” Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966) Graphite on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi After causing much upheaval at the hospital, George redeems himself by making fearful Betsy laugh, thus fulfilling the purpose of the book, which was commissioned from the Reys by the Children’s Medical Center in Boston to prepare children for their first visit to the hospital. 25 New Year Greeting Cards, 1941–74 H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Once in America, the Reys yearly sent newly designed greeting cards which reflected humorously on the past year, commented on world affairs, or expressed their hope for a better future. In the card for 1950, they announce their move to the northern end of Washington Square; their previous home on the southern side is shown in the process of demolition, alluding to New York University’s expansion in the area. For 1961, a number that reads the same upside down, H. A. Rey devised a composition that reads the same upside down while commenting on the 1960 elections. The closed gas pump in the card for 1974 refers to the oil crisis and embargo, the “74” couple in a tandem bicycle likely a comic self-­‐portrait of the Reys. An unused pencil drawing for a greeting card features a number of the Reys’ beloved characters including Curious George, Cecily G. the giraffe, Spotty the bunny, and Pretzel the dachshund. CURIOUS GEORGE “Among children we were best known as the parents of Curious George, the little monkey hero of our most famous books,” recalled Margret Rey late in life. “‘I thought you were monkeys too,’ said a little boy who had been eager to meet us, disappointment written all over his face.” Whether falsely alarming the fire department while experimenting with a telephone, going up in the air with a bunch of balloons or a kite, or falling into the water after a failed attempt to fish with a mop, the little monkey is always in trouble, both propelled and undone by his insatiable curiosity and appetite for adventure. As Margret Rey once said, “the soaking in a bathtub, a news item in the papers, a piece of conversation at a party” were all inspirations for Curious George’s new escapades. “We write and rewrite, we draw and redraw, we fight over the plot, the beginning, the ending, the illustrations—as a matter of fact our work is nearly the only thing we do fight about.” While the idea of the monkey’s narrow escape from danger was introduced in the first Curious George story created by the Reys in France, the concept of “saving the day” is only used in their later books written in the safety of America. By the time the man with the yellow hat comes to his rescue, George’s capers have already been mitigated with some poetic justice, which may be understood as emblematic of the important role the character had played both in saving the Reys’ lives when fleeing Nazi Europe and later helping them rebuild their careers in this country. In turn, the little monkey born in France acts out the fantasies of many immigrants: he lands an acting job in Hollywood soon upon arrival, advances research by traveling in a spaceship, and makes it to the front page of newspapers, all the while getting thoroughly Americanized. Wall Work COLOR SEPARATION In America, Rey used a color separation process that helped to reduce publication costs. To create a multi-­‐colored page in a book, H.A would create four different drawings for each illustration—one in black containing the outline and shadows, and three others for the details in red, yellow, and blue. Printer’s plates were then created from the separate drawings. When all four plates were printed on to the paper, the colors would then blend together making a complete colored drawing. 26 Dummy illustration for “Hummm-­‐hummm, what was that?” Curious George Flies a Kite (1958) Pencil and crayon on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi After George rescues a baby bunny, he heads back home, but on the way a number of adventures ensue, including a fishing expedition that ends with George falling into the lake. Once out of the water he meets Billy, whose kite proves hard to resist. The little monkey decides to fly it on his own but ends up taking flight with it. Happily, the man with the yellow hat comes to the rescue just as George begins to feel scared and thinks that “he would never, never be so curious again, if just this one time he could find a way to get home.” Black color separation for ‘“Hurrah!’ Bill shouted” Curious George Flies a Kite (1958) Charcoal and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi At the story’s end, George returns the kite to his friend Billy, who then thanks the little monkey by giving him one of his baby bunnies as a present. Black color separation for endpapers Curious George Flies a Kite (1958) by Margret Rey Charcoal and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Although Margret Rey had worked on the previous four Curious George books along with her husband, she is cited only as author of the monkey’s escapades beginning with Curious George Flies a Kite, published in 1958. When the couple arrived in this country, in the early 1940s, most children’s books were created by women. Their publisher thought that releasing their books under H.A. Rey’s name only would help promotion and increase sales. After the Reys were more established, however, they began using both of their names. Dummy illustration for “[George] got up on the window…” Curious George Flies a Kite (1958) Pencil and crayon on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Margret Rey wrote Curious George Flies a Kite using 218 words, most of which were taught to first graders at the time. “ I wondered how I could ever weave a story out of the word list which contained hardly a verb,” she said. “And a child wants a story with lots of action. Finally I came across the word ‘bunny.’ There, I thought, is a word a child will grasp! The job . . . was more like working out a cross-­‐word puzzle than writing a book.” Here George’ s curiosity is about to get 27 the best of him. Next he will set on to meet the inhabitants of the little house seen from his window—a family of bunnies. Black and red color separations for “The great moment had come” Curious George Gets a Medal (1957) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The initial idea for Curious George as a space traveler dates back to 1953 when H. A. Rey read an article about mice that had been sent up to space to study the effects of acceleration and weightlessness. “Four years later,” said the artist, “I had George go up in an experimental space ship. He thus beat the famous space monkeys Able and Baker by twenty months.” Margret Rey would later add, “It seems clear that Curious George inspired that trip.” The Reys would receive many letters from fans inquiring about the impact the couple’s book may have had on NASA’s space research. Black and red color separations for “Out of the blue an open parachute came floating down to earth” Curious George Gets a Medal (1957) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Most of the experiments carried out during the 1950s that involved sending fruit flies and animals such as hamsters and mice into space resulted in the destruction of the balloons that carried them, or in the animals not surviving the flights. Laika, the famous canine occupant of Sputnik 2, launched in November 1957, was the first dog to orbit the earth, but sadly also died in space. In Curious George Gets a Medal, published shortly before the Russian dog’s fateful flight, the Reys portrayed Curious George returning safely to earth from his space travels. Black and red color separations for “In no time the room was full of lather . . . ” Curious George Gets a Medal (1957) Charcoal, watercolor, and paint on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi “Once we heard a biochemist tell how, as a boy, he had made a bargain with his mother to give the kitchen floor a thorough scrubbing in order to get money for a chemistry set,” related Margret Rey. “So one day, while his parents were out, he sprinkled the contents of a large package of soap flakes on the floor, pulled the garden hose through the window and turned the water on . . . . When I heard that I said ‘Let George do it.’” In this scene, the little monkey’s attempt to write a letter with a fountain pen results in spilled ink all over the floor, which he subsequently tries to clean with hilarious consequences. 28 Black and red color separations for “George jumped aboard . . . ” Curious George Gets a Medal (1957) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Fleeing the scene of the disaster, George finally reaches a farm where he finds a pump to clean up the mess he has created. Being a little monkey, he needs some help to pull the heavy pump all the way home. He attempts unsuccessfully to have a goat do the job, and while trying to get a large pig’s help, all the pigs burst out of the pen. In this illustration, George narrowly escapes, after having wreaked havoc on the farm. Unbeknownst to him, he is bound for the Museum of Science, where he has been invited to participate in a space experiment. Black color separation for “At breakfast George’s friend said” Curious George Rides a Bike (1952) Watercolor and charcoal on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi This domestic scene, featuring Curious George and the man with the yellow hat, is emblematic of the Reys’ new sedentary life in America after their wanderings in Europe. A picture from the “wild” past hangs over the table, while the winsome monkey, often interpreted as a stand-­‐in for boisterous Margret Rey, and his older friend, whose gentle manner and pipe-­‐smoking are reminiscent of H. A. Rey, enjoy the tranquility of home. Dummy illustration for “he put him in his bag and carefully let him down . . . ” Curious George Rides a Bike (1952) Pencil and crayon on paper; pasted print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi At the circus, George is drawn to the other animals, and although he nearly chokes an ostrich by mistake, his rescuing of a runaway bear—depicted in this scene—redeems the little monkey, who regains his job as a performer and gets to entertain the crowds with his pirouettes. Dummy illustration for “Watching his fleet sailing down the river George felt like an admiral” Curious George Rides a Bike (1952) Pencil and crayon on paper; pasted print on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Overcome by curiosity, George decides to make paper boats out of the newspapers he is supposed to deliver and sail them down a stream. Trouble strikes when he wrecks the front wheel of his bicycle. But when a traveling circus passing by spots the monkey riding his bike with one wheel, he instantly gets hired as a performer. 29 Black color separation for “Finally the show was on” Curious George Rides a Bike (1952) Charcoal and watercolor and on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi The circus always held a fascination for H. A. Rey, who in the early 1920s in Germany eked out a living by creating posters for a circus, befriending clowns and acrobats, as well as elephants, seals, and chimps. In the lower right corner of this illustration, H. A. Rey depicted himself smoking his characteristic pipe while sketching Curious George, with Margret Rey and the couple’s dog Charkie also making a cameo appearance in the audience. Dummy illustration for front dust jacket Curious George Rides a Bike (1952) Paint, crayon, and charcoal on board H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Bicycles, used by the Reys in their journey to safety, are central to Curious George Rides a Bike (1952), featuring the mischievous monkey as he tries to help a boy with his paper route. Black and red color separations for “In the studio George was kept so busy all the time that he forgot to be curious” Curious George Takes a Job (1947) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi George’s escape lands him at the hospital with a broken leg, and on the first page of every newspaper in town. The man with the yellow hat comes to the rescue, but not before George has experimented with ether and needs to be revived with a cold shower. From the hospital the little monkey is whisked away to a movie studio to star in a film about his life in the jungle. The premiere is attended by the cook, the painters, and the doctor and nurse who took care of him at the hospital, to the delight of them all. Black and red color separations for “George reached the end of the fire escape” Curious George Takes a Job (1947) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi 30 Black and red color separations for “An hour later the painters came back” Curious George Takes a Job (1947) Pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper; crayon on acetate overlay H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi In the big city George gets a number of jobs, including assisting a cook at restaurant and being a movie star. While washing windows on a high-­‐rise, he looks into an apartment being painted. “What child in his right mind, with paints or crayons handy, does not feel the urge to fill empty wall space with works of art?” H. A. Rey once said. “I always felt that urge myself strongly and in my earlier years succumbed to it more than once. So, in Curious George Takes a Job I had George decorate the walls of a freshly painted apartment—not his own—with jungle scenes. The results were catastrophic.” Final illustration for endpapers Curious George Takes a Job (1947) Pen and ink and watercolor on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Placed at the beginning and the end of a book, endpapers are a wonderful showcase for the illustrator’s talent, providing the artist the freedom to fill the page with vignettes connected to the story, yet without having to follow a chronology or directly relate to an adjacent text. On this page H. A. Rey depicts his mischief-­‐loving character at crucial moments in which curiosity is about to propel him into action. Case Work Dummy book for Curious George Gets a Medal (1957) Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Zozo cartoon Published in Good Housekeeping Magazine (British edition), August 1951 Color pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Curious George in England became Zozo. During World War II, when the story was first published in Britain, the King of England was George VI, and calling the mischievous monkey by the name of the reigning monarch seemed too irreverent to the British publisher. Later on, as the character became better known internationally, American editor Grace Hogarth at Houghton Mifflin suggested that Zozo be changed to Curious George to benefit English sales of the books. “But I learned from the British publisher the fact that ‘curious’ was not an adjective except in the sense of ‘odd,’” Hogarth later reported. 31 Margret and H. A. Rey Unpublished story New York, c. 1942 Pencil on paper H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi Probably written soon after the Reys reached the safety of America, this story has many autobiographical undertones, featuring an escape from war and casting Curious George as the savior. Randolph, Cecily G.’s brother, a giraffe stranded at the zoo for the duration of the war, is rescued by Curious George, with both giraffe and monkey leaving the zoo by car, changing to a train, and later journeying on foot over mountains, where enemy vultures hover in the sky (an image likely inspired by the Nazi bombers flying over France when the Reys were escaping). George knits a pullover for Randolph to protect the giraffe from the inclement cold. When the Reys took their pet monkeys on their sea voyage from Rio to London in 1936, Margret Rey knitted sweaters to keep them warm. QUOTES 1. “…we went for our honeymoon to paris. we meant to stay about four weeks there and we stayed over four years, until the war broke out…and in the same hotel.” – Margret and H. A. Rey 2. “The Statue of Liberty greeted us through the morning mist.” – H. A. Rey 3. This is George . He lived with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. He was a good little monkey, but he was always curious. The text on the wall behind you is the opening few lines from the beginning of the Curious George books. Curious George, and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. © 2010 by HMH. 32