Curious George Art Exhibit
Curious George, the world’s favorite mischief-maker, has never been one to shy away from adventure. In celebration of his 60 years of Curious George we invite you to take a virtual tour of the Curious George Hattiesburg Exhibit courtesy of the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.
This exciting exhibit of original artwork and memorabilia—sponsored by Houghton Mifflin and drawn from the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection in Mississippi—debuted at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on October 3, 2001. In 2002, the exhibit traveled to Los Angeles and then made its way to several other cities.
Celebrating 60 Years of Curious George: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey contains many fascinating and unique items from the creators of Curious George. The timeless appeal of H. A.’s familiar images takes center stage in the many sketches, preliminary drawings, and full-color illustrations. Visitors can view dummy pages and original artwork from all their favorite Curious George books, as well as from other beloved Rey titles. Margret’s many talents are evident in the variety of items she produced—Curious George knitted socks, a needlepoint portrait of her husband, a beautiful woodcut. The works included in the exhibit span the Reys’entire lifetime, from a painting done by H. A. at age eight to samples of the New Year’s cards they designed every year.
Houghton Mifflin is pleased to offer children’s literature fans this rare glimpse into the lives of Curious George’s creators. When the de Grummond collection was founded at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1966, the Reys were among its earliest contributors. More materials were added over the years and in 1996, with the death of Margret, the remaining literary estate was given to the de Grummond Collection. It was in this collection that the manuscript for Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (2000) was found in October 1999.