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Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. ReyPost an Event »

Contemporary Jewish Museum

November 14 - March 14, 2011

Info

http://thecjm.org/
(415) 655-7800

736 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103

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The Contemporary Jewish Museum presents Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey, an exhibition of nearly 80 original drawings that reveal a dramatic story of escape and survival. Curious George, the impish monkey protagonist of many adventures, may never have seen the light of day were it not for 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, Germany, 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 most of their Curious George stories. After their fateful escape from Paris 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, with seven of them starring Curious George. The exhibition features nearly eighty original drawings of the beloved monkey and other characters, preparatory dummy books, vintage photographs, and documentation related to the Reys' escape from Nazi Europe, as well as a specially designed reading room for visitors of all ages. Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey is organized by The Jewish Museum, New York. The exhibition is supported by a bequest from the Estate of Lore Ross. The San Francisco presentation is generously supported by the James Irvine Foundation, PNC Foundation, and Chara Schreyer and Gordon Freund. Koret and Taube Foundations are the lead supporters of the 2010/11 exhibition season.