New
York, NY – The Jewish Museum will present a new
exhibition, Curious George Saves the Day:
The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey, from March 14 through August 1, 2010. 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.