Note: This is a large finding aid divided into multiple parts.
I. Biographical | II. Literary | III. Licensing & Merchandising | IV. Non-Literary Work | V. Personal | VI. de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
Click here to search for digitized items from this collection| Abstract: | The H.A. & Margret Rey Papers contain creative works, printed material, correspondence, journals, financial and legal documentation, photographic material, video and audio recordings, and artifacts created and accumulated by H.A. & Margret Rey, Lay Lee Ong, and the staff of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection between around 1906 and 2002. Although they produced dozens of children's books, copious advertising art, and ingenious astronomical aids, the Reys were best known for their seven books featuring Curious George. Their papers were created from their composition of published and unpublished literary works, the merchandising of literary characters created by them, their production of advertising art and other ventures unrelated to their literary work, and the conduct of their personal affairs. |
Hans Augusto Reyersbach was born in Hamburg, Germany, on September 16, 1898, to Alexander & Marta (Windmüller) Reyersbach. He attended Wilhelm Gymnasium in Hamburg, where he received a traditional humanistic education and drew a clandestine illustrated newsletter for his classmates. He was drafted into the German army in 1916, serving in the infantry and medical corps in France and Russia. Reyersbach sporadically attended the Universities of Munich and Hamburg for four years after his discharge in 1919. He supported himself by working as a lithographer and poster designer for a lithographic plant specializing in circus posters, although he never studied art formally. In 1923, he published a volume of twelve lithographs to accompany grotesque poems by Christian Morgenstern. In 1925, dismayed by the poor economy in Germany, Reyersbach moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to work as an accountant in his brother-in-law's import-export firm.
Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein was born in Hamburg, Germany, on May 16, 1906, to David Felix & Gertrude Waldstein. She studied at the Klosterschule in Hamburg where she graduated in 1925. Waldstein studied at Bauhaus and any number of other German art schools between 1926 and 1928, ultimately exhibiting a successful one-woman show of her watercolors in Berlin. In 1929, she began working as a copywriter at Crawford's, an English advertising firm in Berlin. For the next six years, Waldstein learned photography and advertising and worked in a series of advertising firms, newspapers, and photographic studios in England and Germany. In 1935, she traveled to Rio de Janeiro to meet Hans Reyersbach, who had been a family friend. She worked as a photographer, advertising designer, and newspaper writer and started the first advertising firm in Rio de Janeiro with Hans. They married on August 16, 1935.
The Reys traveled to Europe shortly after their marriage and settled in Paris. Hans illustrated and published several children's picture books in England and France, as well as a few books of cut-out-and-fold animals based on a design for which he received a French patent. The Reys created Curious George—then called Fifi—possibly while staying at Chateau Feuga in the Dordogne region of France in early 1940. He was based on a character from their Rafi et les 9 Singes (1939). When the German army approached Paris in June 1940, the Reys fled on bicycles to Orleans where they boarded a train for the Spanish border. They moved on to New York City via Spain, Portugal, and Brazil between June and October.
Settled in New York City, the Reys sealed a contract with Houghton Mifflin of Boston for four children's books in February 1941. They published Curious George later that year, although it would not become popular for another decade. Although Margret always had written the text for their books, only Hans' name appeared on their books until 1944 when Pretzel was published with Margret's name given for the author. The Reys became naturalized American citizens in April 1946. Hans had acquired Brazilian citizenship earlier in his life.
H.A. Rey possessed a longstanding interest in amateur astronomy and had developed a new way to draw the constellations so that they actually looked like the figures they were supposed to represent. He used these designs as the cornerstone for The Stars: A New Way to See Them, an easy-to-understand guide to constellation identification, which he published in 1952. He released Find the Constellations, a similar book for children, two years later. Rey also created several devices to assist amateur stargazers with locating constellations at particular latitudes and times of the year.
In 1958, the Reys constructed a summer cottage in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. They had lived at 42 Washington Square South in New York City in 1941-1949 and 82 Washington Place in 1949-1963. They permanently left New York City for a winter home at 12 (later 14) Hilliard Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1963.
In all, the Reys published seven Curious George books, the last being Curious George Goes to the Hospital in 1966. By the 1970s, they had more-or-less retired and devoted themselves to other interests. Margret, who taken pottery lessons since 1965, attended summer pottery classes at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, from 1969 to 1972. She also practiced gardening and needlepoint at home. Hans pursued his longtime interest in astronomy and a new fascination with wind power. His health deteriorated during the mid-1970s and he died on August 26, 1977.
Although the Reys had authorized some merchandising of the Curious George character during Hans' lifetime, it was only after his death that the monkey became a huge commodity. Beginning with a 1978 deal to produce animated films for television with accompanying products, Margret spent her widowhood managing the lucrative new enterprise and keeping a vigilant watch over all new products presented for her approval.
Rey further occupied her time by teaching creative writing at Brandeis University and arranging sizeable charitable contributions. In the late 1970's, Lay Lee Ong, a Malayasian student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, was hired by Margret as a house- and dog-sitter. During the ensuing years, their friendship grew and Lay Lee became more involved in the business and managerial aspects of the Curious George phenomenon. Margret died on December 21, 1996, leaving Lay Lee Ong as her literary executor.
The H.A. & Margret Rey Papers contain creative works, printed material, correspondence, journals, financial and legal documentation, photographic material, video and audio recordings, and artifacts created and accumulated by H.A. & Margret Rey, Lay Lee Ong, and the staff of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection between around 1906 and 2002. H.A. & Margret Rey's papers were created from their composition of published and unpublished literary works, the merchandising of literary characters created by them, their production of advertising art and other ventures unrelated to their literary work, and the conduct of their personal affairs. The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection also has accumulated a sizeable body of records related to the acquisition, organization, exhibition, and management of the H.A. & Margret Rey Papers. The clear majority of the Rey Papers are in English, but significant quantities of material appear in German, Portuguese, and French. Smaller numbers of records are written in Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Danish, Russian, and Latin. The Rey Papers are organized into six subgroups: biographical, literary, licensing & merchandising, non-literary work, personal, and the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.
Please note that to facilitate use of this scope and content note, the names of subgroups, series, subseries, and sub-subseries have been written in differing styles of boldface lettering. The names of SUBGROUPS are written in uppercase letters, SERIES in italicized uppercase letters, subseries in lowercase letters, and sub-subseries in italicized lowercase letters.
THE BIOGRAPHICAL SUBGROUP contains material providing succinct summaries and examinations of the lives of H.A. & Margret Rey. It is organized into five series. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES SERIES contains autobiographical sketches, resumes, and three essays in which Hans Rey described his methods for conceiving, designing, and illustrating children's books. THE BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES FOR REFERENCE BOOKS SERIES consists of correspondence with the publishers of several biographical reference works regarding the inclusion of sketches for the Reys between 1969 and 1986. THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS SERIES contains clippings that offer general biographical information about the couple between 1941 and 1999. THE SCHOLARLY STUDIES SERIES contains issues of German and Swedish scholarly journals featuring articles examining the work of H.A. Rey. It also includes an unpublished class paper on Margret Rey from 1999. Finally, the MEMOIRS OF ACQUAINTANCES SERIES consists of photocopies of two memoirs by Grace Hogarth and Walter Lorraine, publishing executives who had worked with the Reys at Houghton Mifflin. Both articles discuss their respective authors' experiences in the publishing industry and mention the Reys only in passing.
THE LITERARY SUBGROUP consists of material pertaining to the Reys' literary careers. It contains both original artwork and production material for books, articles, and unpublished works, as well as records arising from the Reys' status as successful children's book authors. The subgroup is organized into four series: published books, periodicals & pamphlet, unpublished works, and parodies of Curious George written by others.
THE PUBLISHED BOOKS SERIES is organized into two subseries: production material for individual titles and production, sale & response records for books. The former consists of material produced during the creation, marketing, and reviewing of individual titles. The latter contains records documenting the production and distribution of all titles, as well as fan mail, requests, correspondence regarding public appearances, and other records arising from the Reys' status as successful children's book authors.
The Production Material for Individual Titles Subseries holds original artwork and other production material for 55 published books. The papers are arranged alphabetically by title and the material for each book is arranged chronologically in order of creation when known. Material for translations, foreign editions, and other versions of specific works has been organized below the papers for the original book from which they derived. The quantity of material for specific titles varies tremendously. The precise contents are given in the container listing below, but some additional explanation is needed to understand the arrangement of the following titles.
The subseries contains copious material for all seven Curious George books illustrated by H.A. Rey. The subseries includes 21 of the 26 original charcoal, color pencil, and watercolor illustrations made by Rey for Curious George, although these drawings were never reproduced in book form until 1998. The black & red color separations for Curious George were produced possibly as early as 1957 for later, cheaper editions of the book. Finally, H.A. Rey drew color pencil illustrations for a shorter version of Curious George for the third edition of Come Along, a Houghton Mifflin children's literature anthology, in 1963.
The color pencil illustrations for Curious George Flies a Kite are incomplete. The early drawings are so widely scattered that nothing can be deduced about their process of creation; however, with page 20 begins a set of paginated color pencil illustrations that appear to have been the last drawings produced. They cover most of the remainder of the book, although they have been interspersed with earlier drawings for occasional pages.
H.A. Rey drew early pencil illustrations for Curious George Goes to the Hospital at several different times, but since the exact order of his drawings is uncertain, they have been arranged together according to page number. The layout pages with pencil illustrations, text blocks, and shadow sketches for the entire book were all drawn at the same time and have been filed together. The same is true for the dummy pages previously in a binder.
The earliest dummy pages for Curious George Learns the Alphabet feature drawings for uppercase and lowercase letters together on single sheets. The later dummy pages were drawn at close but differing times; nevertheless, they have been filed together because the exact sequence of their creation is unknown. Finally, the latest dummy pages previously in a binder were all drawn at the same time and have been filed together.
The material for Curious George Takes a Job includes both three-color color separations and black & red color separations. Houghton Mifflin apparently made both, but Chatto & Windus also used them for publishing Zozo Takes a Job. Both sets of separations have been arranged jointly under both titles because the stamps of both publishers appear on all of the items.
The cartoons for Pretzel and the Puppies originally appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine between February 1946 and August 1947. H.A. Rey later redrew them in color for publication as a book in 1946. Some of the original watercolor illustrations for Rafi et les 9 singes later had been modified for use in the American edition of the book.
The Stars: A New Way to See Them remained fundamentally unchanged through its first five printings, presenting constellations visible for only the latitudes of the continental United States and using conical calendar charts. The sixth printing (1962) introduced major changes with the inclusion of a new preface, the adoption of triple-horizon calendar charts, and the expansion of both constellation and calendar charts to include constellations visible over most of the inhabited globe. For the first printing, the papers contain a complete dummy; original illustrations for the page illustrations, constellation charts, and calendar charts; and material for the star chart printed on the inside of the dust jacket. Some of the original artwork bears modifications made at different times, including conspicuous revisions for a Chatto & Windus edition in 1975. For the sixth printing, the papers contain preliminary pencil drawings for calendar charts 13-16 and white ink illustrations on black paper with overlays for calendar charts 1-16, the universal sky chart, and the new endpapers. Other printings boast less significant quantities of material.
The cartoons for Tit for Tat originally appeared in the French newspaper, Marianne, on June 30, 1937. While still in Europe, H.A. Rey closely redrew the cartoons in color, intending to publish them as a book in England or France. He was unsuccessful in Europe, but redrew them in color a second time—but in a different style—for publication in the United States in 1942.
The Production, Sale & Response Records for Books Subseries contains records documenting the production and distribution of numerous titles, as well as fan mail, requests, correspondence regarding public appearances, and other records arising from the Reys' status as successful children's book authors. It is organized into eight sub-subseries: book publication and sales lists, publisher files, literary agent files, fan mail, public appearances, requests and permissions, copyright disputes, and general material about books and characters.
The Book Publication and Sales Lists Sub-Subseries consists of various lists and two journals kept by the Reys recording the names of international publishers of their books and records of the numbers of books sold between 1938 and 1983.
The Publisher Files Sub-Subseries consists of correspondence, contracts, royalty statements, and promotional material created by 64 publishers of Rey titles in 21 countries between 1937 and 1998. The records document the publication and promotional processes of all—or nearly all—of the Reys' books as well as a few works that were never published. The material is arranged alphabetically by name of publisher. The following publishers are heavily represented: Carlsen (Denmark), Chatto & Windus (UK), Gallimard (France), Gyldendalske Boghandel (Denmark), HarperCollins (USA), Houghton Mifflin (USA), and Rabén & Sjögren Bokförlag (Sweden). Scholastic, a vendor of both books and merchandise, has been organized under the licensing & merchandising subgroup because its book and merchandise sales are too intertwined to separate their respective records. Finally, it should be known that the Scandinavian publishers (Rabén & Sjögren Bokförlag, Gyldendalske Boghandel, and Den Norske Bokklubben) frequently collaborated in publishing and distributing books in Scandinavian languages.
The Literary Agent Files Sub-Subseries contains correspondence and contracts with eight literary agents in seven countries. The material is arranged alphabetically by name of literary agent. The Reys' primary agent was A. P. Watt of London. The files contain correspondence with Watt between 1961 and 1995. Margret Rey also sealed several contracts with the Sane Töregård Agency of Sweden over the course of nine years after Hans' death. The Reys' relations with the other six agents were negligible.
The Fan Mail Sub-Subseries contains fan mail from children and adults and carbon copies of occasional replies from the Reys from 1943 to 1998. Most letters date from the 1960s and 1980s and almost exclusively concern the Curious George books. The large majority of the letters came from the United States, but a few arrived from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Both individuals and whole classes sent letters. The material is arranged chronologically.
The Public Appearances Sub-Subseries contains correspondence, clippings, and photographs regarding public appearances by the Reys between 1944 and 1995. Most of these appearances occurred at schools, libraries, bookstores, department stores, book festivals, and amateur astronomy clubs. The papers also contain files on radio and television appearances made between 1949 and 1991 and on speeches delivered by Margret Rey for the Brandeis University National Women's Committee in 1982 and 1983. The sub-subseries includes audio recordings in several formats of radio interviews with the Reys in 1946, 1966, and 1971. Most of the material is arranged chronologically.
The Requests & Permissions Sub-Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, artwork, and clothing concerning various requests made of the Reys between 1943 and 1998. They received requests for autographs, information, permission to use Curious George on anything and everything, the sale or donation of artwork, the publication of excerpts of books, the use of H.A. Rey's constellation designs for other writings on astronomy, the broadcast of whole books over local radio or television, and the creation of artwork for special individuals or occasions. The deGrummond Collection staff developed criteria to differentiate simple requests and permissions from the publication of books and merchandising of products for broad sale, so as to classify the many requests that were scattered among other types of records in the Rey Papers. Simple requests and permissions must satisfy one of the following criteria: use of a book or character for a one-time-only use, use of a book or character for purely local use, use of a book or character by a non-profit organization, or the printing of an excerpt from a book.
The Copyright Disputes Sub-Subseries pertains to three disputes over portions of The Stars occurring between 1960 and 1971. The lawsuit of Rey v. Fleming arose when Houghton Mifflin charged Leroy K. Fleming, creator of a star-finding device called Accustar, with using Rey's constellation designs in his product without permission. It was amicably settled in 1968. Houghton Mifflin apparently charged the A.C. Gilbert Company, a telescope manufacturer, with doing the same thing on one of its star charts in 1962. The dispute never became a legal issue and Gilbert paid a small fee in return. And in May 1962, Rey received a complaint from Charles A. Federer Jr., editor of Sky and Telescope magazine, accusing him of improperly using triple-horizon star charts that had been exclusive to that magazine. Rey peacefully resolved the dispute within a few days, but Federer again objected to his use of the design in 1971, this time for a National Audubon Society pamphlet Rey was producing.
The General Material About Books & Characters Sub-Subseries is a category for assorted items about books and book characters that do not belong in any other part of the literary subgroup. The sub-subseries primarily contains clippings and promotional devices from Curious George's anniversaries, especially his 50th birthdays in 1988 and 1991. The papers include unpublished translations of Curious George in Russian and Latin as well as photographs and clippings of Curious George and Pretzel in parades. Finally, this category contains a multitude of assorted clippings either mentioning Curious George or featuring pictures of Rey books.
THE PERIODICALS & PAMPHLET SERIES contains tear sheets, publications, correspondence, photographs, and original illustrative material for magazine articles and a pamphlet illustrated by H.A. Rey between 1944 and 1973. The series is organized into two subseries: illustrations by H.A. Rey for articles written by others and articles & pamphlet written and illustrated by H.A. Rey. The former subseries consists of tear sheets of articles, cartoons, and stories written by others for which Rey provided illustrations. The latter subseries includes tear sheets, publications, correspondence, photographs, and original illustrative material for three pieces both written and illustrated by H.A. Rey. His own works include a series of Zozo cartoons for Good Housekeeping Magazine; an article on Coffee, a chipmunk found at the Reys' Waterville Valley home, published in both The Curious Naturalist and Cricket; and an introductory pamphlet on stargazing produced for the National Audubon Society. The papers in this series are arranged in a roughly chronological order. The pieces that Rey only illustrated predate all of the publications produced entirely by him.
THE UNPUBLISHED WORKS SERIES contains ink & watercolor illustrations, dummies, pencil sketches, composition & research notes, cut-and-fold figures, prints, and correspondence for 27 unpublished works created mostly by H.A. Rey between about 1925 and 1984. The series is organized into three subseries: titled works, untitled works, and evolutionary concept sketches.
The Titled Works Subseries contains watercolor illustrations, dummies, pencil sketches, composition notes, prints, and correspondence for 17 unpublished works that were assigned titles during their creation. H.A. Rey created all but two of the works in the subseries. Margret Rey wrote Gardening by an Ignoramus probably sometime during the 1970s. The papers are arranged alphabetically by title and the material for each work is arranged chronologically in order of creation when known. Composition dates for each work have been estimated and are subject to reinterpretation. The precise contents are given in the container listing below, although some explanation is needed to understand the arrangement of the following titles.
Curious George Saves the Day was conceived largely by Nathaniel Scrimshaw of Prometheus Creative Consultants of Campton, New Hampshire, in consultation with Margret Rey. It was intended as a tool to introduce children to the LOGO computer language and was to be packaged with a computer adventure game. David Manak was to provide the illustrations for the book.
In the early 1940s, H.A. Rey created a series of animal illustrations with accompanying silly rhymes that he developed under as many as three titles. He kept most of the drawings in a blue folder labeled "Nonsense Rhymes," but he also drew covers bearing the titles "Nonsense ABC" and "Rhyming Pictionary." It is unclear if Rey intended these illustrations to become a single work or many. The rhymes for all of the illustrations are written in a similar style, but some emphasize specific letters of the alphabet. Since Rey's intentions with the work are unclear, the material has been kept together and arranged in roughly chronologically order according to the stage of development of the images, from composition notes to pencil drawings to finished watercolor illustrations.
H.A. Rey drew several sets of constellation charts of the northern and southern stars for The Road Atlas of the Sky, an unpublished book of star charts designed to give users a comprehensive map of the night sky. He intended each page of the atlas to feature a primary chart of a celestial hemisphere viewed along a selected line of right ascension, a supplementary chart covering the polar region of the opposite hemisphere, and timetables giving the dates and times to view the stars shown on the page. The unpublished works series contains eleven sets of primary and supplementary charts drawn by Rey between 1963 and 1973, as well as numerous sets of positive and negative photocopies, graphs, tables, and correspondence. Rey's declining eyesight made it impossible for him to finish the work himself and Margret Rey's disputes with prospective co-authors after his death ensured that it would never be published.
The Untitled Works Subseries contains pencil sketches, dummies, cut-and-fold figures, and ink & watercolor illustrations for 10 untitled unpublished works, all but one created by H.A. Rey. The papers are arranged roughly by degree of finishing. Composition dates for some works have been estimated and are subject to reinterpretation. The precise contents are given in the container listing below, although some explanation is needed to understand the arrangement of the following titles.
The sketches and notes of Curious George and Rafi and the 9 Monkeys depict situations and sequences that never appeared in any published book. They have been placed in this subseries because they cannot be identified as having been considered for any specific book.
Around 1941, H.A. Rey drew a series of illustration boards for an untitled work surveying the history of the world. The first eight of these boards contain closely typed text discussing issues arising from the study of history, as well as tiny cartoon characters to illustrate his points—much like Find the Constellations. The other boards feature watercolor illustrations graphically making statements about comparative history and the vast span of time. Rey's "Time Perspectives" compare the relatively short duration of human existence with the eras since the start of life on earth. Other illustration boards offer colorful maps and timelines for understanding contemporary events and people in ancient and modern world history.
The Evolutionary Concept Sketches Subseries contains pencil sketches, a letter received, and a watercolor illustration for unpublished artwork reflecting H.A. Rey's interest in evolution. They have been organized under this series in the literary subgroup because these drawings offer early examples of the evolutionary themes that were prevalent in Rey's published and unpublished works.
THE CURIOUS GEORGE PARODIES SERIES consists of four parodies of Curious George created by others between 1974 and 2001. They are arranged chronologically.
THE LICENSING & MERCHANDISING SUBGROUP consists of correspondence, agreements, royalty statements, legal records, audio and video recordings, and products pertaining to the copyrighting, licensing, production, sale, presentation, and payment of royalties of products and performances based on literary characters created by H.A. & Margret Rey. The material dates between 1954 and 2002. These products almost exclusively concern Curious George, although a few are based on Pretzel, Spotty, Katy No Pocket, Cecily G., and Whiteblack the Penguin. The subgroup is organized into four series: lists of licensees, licensor & merchandiser files, merchandising agent files, and copyright & trademark applications and renewals.
THE LISTS OF LICENSEES SERIES consists of two lists of licensees of Curious George products from 1997.
THE LICENSOR & MERCHANDISER FILES SERIES consists of correspondence, agreements, royalty statements, legal records, audio and video recordings, and products pertaining to 136 licensors and merchandisers in nine countries—especially the United States and Canada—between 1954 and 2002. The records document the licensing, conception, production, sale, presentation, and payment of royalties for products and performances based on characters created by H.A. & Margret Rey. The Reys maintained files on various companies with which they did business as well as keeping samples of merchandise. Other merchandise has been acquired since Margret Rey's death. The material in the series is arranged alphabetically by name of licensor or merchandiser and the records for each entity are arranged chronologically in order of creation when known, although actual merchandise is arranged following paper records. Legal records for lawsuits with some companies have been organized under the name of the plaintiff, following the filing custom of Margret Rey. The only exception is the case of Margret Rey v. Richard G. D. Lafferty et al, which has been organized with the records of Lafferty, Harwood & Partners.
A sizeable portion of the records in this series concern a specific merchandising arrangement and resulting lawsuit between 1978 and 1993. In January 1978, Margret Rey granted a license to Milktrain Productions of Montreal to produce 104 5-minute animated films of Curious George for television. Lafferty, Harwood & Partners (LHP), a Montreal investment firm, financed the films. Milktrain Productions, acting as executive producers, hired Telescene Productions, A.J. Shalleck Productions, and Atkinson Film-Arts to produce, direct, and animate the films, respectively. Mik Casey of Ottawa served as art director and Margret Rey retained the right to approve all production decisions. The enterprise encountered numerous problems and delays owing to disagreements over the quality of the artwork and, by late 1979, the original investment funds had been exhausted with only 32 episodes completed. LHP provided additional capital but acquired control of the production process and a greater share of the royalties under a revised agreement with Milktrain in November 1979. Production of all 104 episodes was completed in 1982.
Lafferty, Harwood & Partners approached Margret Rey in 1980 seeking permission to sell ancillary products related to the films. The two signed an agreement in January 1983 with Milktrain Productions and Fremantle International, a New York distributor. LHP administered its license of Curious George in Canada through its creation of a new subsidiary, Curgeo Agencies Inc. of Montreal. It licensed products in the United States through Equity Management Inc. of Palatine, Illinois. The records documenting these arrangements are organized under the titles of the various participants within the licensor and merchandiser files.
The files for Lafferty, Harwood & Partners are organized into three sections. The first contains working drafts of the ancillary products agreement, correspondence between Margret Rey and her attorneys, and a folder of assorted correspondence and clippings regarding the films that has been placed here because much of the material in the folder concerns LHP. The bulk of the LHP files are legal records for the case of Margret Rey v. Richard G. D. Lafferty et al. LHP earned less revenue from its ancillary products agreement than expected and blamed Margret Rey's unreasonable criticism of product designs for the shortfall. It did not accept a five-year continuation of the deal in 1988, but continued to renew on a monthly basis until Rey terminated the agreement in April 1989. Nevertheless, LHP continued to exploit the films through adapted books published by Houghton Mifflin and videocassettes produced by Sony. LHP assumed that these products were not subject to the ancillary products agreement.
Margret Rey filed suit against LHP and Curgeo Agencies in February 1991, claiming copyright infringement and breach of contract over the continued production of Houghton Mifflin books and Sony videocassettes. She also demanded unpaid royalties on the books and videos. LHP countersued, claiming breach of contract and interference with business relationships by Rey's unreasonable rejection of various products. After a November 1991 trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the court ruled that the books and videos were subject to the ancillary products agreement and awarded Rey $256,327 in lost royalties. It also recognized Rey's unreasonable rejection of several products and awarded LHP $317,000 in lost profits and consequential damages. The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Rey's award in March 1993, but struck down LHP's award. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the decision in October 1993, thereby upholding Rey's original award from the district court.
The second section of the LHP files consists of court documents from the case and Rey's correspondence with her attorneys at the time. They are arranged chronologically. The third section contains other records related to the case that had been stored with the legal records. These records include folders of correspondence with Rey's attorneys and with Curgeo Agencies. They also include correspondence regarding specific companies associated with the case: Eden Toys, Kidstamps, and Society for Visual Education.
In an unrelated deal, in April 1989, Margret Rey made an agreement granting Jonathan Shapiro, a motion picture producer, an option to produce a live-action film based on Curious George with accompanying merchandising rights on the film. Shapiro obtained the interest of Imagine Films Entertainment for the movie. Imagine paid Rey $140,000 for the right to make the film in April 1991. Universal Pictures, as Shapiro's successor-in-interest, claimed to have broader rights to the Curious George character than Rey had intended to give and filed suit against Houghton Mifflin in March 1995. Margret Rey supported Houghton Mifflin in its countersuit and, at the urging of its attorneys Irell & Manella, filed an additional suit against Universal Pictures in December 1995. She called for the rescission of the contract, claiming that Shapiro had taken unfair advantage of her during their negotiations. The case was settled out of court in early 1997. Records regarding the early dealings and lawsuits are organized under the names of the three primary participants: Imagine Films Entertainment, Jonathan Shapiro, and Vivendi Universal.
Finally, the clear majority of the companies represented in this series both produced and marketed products, but the following agencies acted only as authorized licensors for the Curious George character without producing any products of their own: Bliss House, Curgeo Agencies / Equity Management Inc., Israel Television Enterprises, Clifford Ross Company, and Vivendi Universal (previously Universal Studios).
THE MERCHANDISING AGENT FILES SERIES consists primarily of correspondence with six merchandising agents in three countries. The material is arranged alphabetically by name of agent. The Reys' primary agent was Herb Galewitz of New York, who arranged the merchandising of products between 1968 and 1983, when Curgeo Agencies became licensor for Curious George. The Galewitz files contain correspondence and agreements and detail the licensing, production, sale, and collection of royalties for numerous products. Other correspondence with Herb Galewitz may be found among the files of various merchandisers, as the Reys often filed their correspondence with the records of the company concerned in the letter. The Reys' relations with the other five merchandising agents were negligible.
THE COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARK APPLICATIONS AND RENEWALS SERIES consists of initial applications and renewal requests for copyright and trademark protection for the character of Curious George and ancillary products bearing his image. The majority of the applications were filed for the United States and Canada, but some were filed for a few other countries. The applications were handled by the firm of Panitch, Schwarze, Jacobs & Nadel of Philadelphia at the instigation of Lafferty, Harwood & Partners between 1983 and 1990.
THE NON-LITERARY WORK SUBGROUP contains illustrations, printed material, correspondence, and functional items pertaining to commercial ventures by the Reys unrelated to their published books. The material spans the years 1935 to 1988. The subgroup is organized into eight series: advertising art, non-advertising artwork for Brazilian periodicals, commissioned Christmas cards & wrapping paper, Fingertip-Puppets, Gripper Pets, star-finding devices, children's book editing, and creative writing instruction.
THE ADVERTISING ART SERIES contains illustrations; printed cards, leaflets, and pamphlets; posters; greeting cards; letters received; a magazine; and a ledger pertaining to H.A. & Margret Rey's advertising business approximately between the years 1935 and 1950. H.A. Rey created the artwork while living in Brazil, France, and the United States. Most of the advertising art is printed in Portuguese, but several items appear in German, French, Spanish, and English. The series contains material for 10 Brazilian and European clients, but the clear majority of the papers were created for Hoffmann-La Roche & Company, a Swiss pharmaceutical firm for which Rey began working while in Brazil.
THE NON-ADVERTISING ARTWORK FOR BRAZILIAN PERIODICALS SERIES contains an illustration, photographs, and printed material for two Brazilian magazines published in 1935 and 1936. Both Hans and Margret Rey substantially contributed to two issues of Espelho magazine in the summer of 1935. In the August issue, Hans was commissioned to draw the cover and a map of the state of São Paulo while Margret contributed photographs of animals. The issue also featured notes on both of the Reys and a photograph of Margret. In the September issue, Hans again provided the cover, a map of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and sketches to accompany a gallery of photographs that Margret took of bathers at a beach. The series contains issues of Espelho, Hans' original map of São Paulo, two unpublished photographs of animals, and three published and five unpublished photographs of bathers. Finally, it includes a tear sheet from A Noite Illustrada (August 1936), but it is unclear if the Reys made any contribution to this magazine.
THE COMMISSIONED CHRISTMAS CARDS & WRAPPING PAPER SERIES consists of correspondence, royalty statements, agreements, color pencil and crayon illustrations, and printed cards and wrapping paper designed by H.A. Rey for two American companies between the mid-1940s and the early 1970s. Rey created several Christmas cards for American Artists Group, a company that annually commissioned artists to design special cards. He also designed gift-wrapping paper for Tie-Tie Products in 1947.
THE FINGERTIP-PUPPETS SERIES and GRIPPER PETS SERIES consist of prototypes and samples of simple toys created by H.A. Rey in the late 1940s. Fingertip-Puppets were a commercially produced set of paper animal heads to cut out and secure to a person's middle fingertip. Gripper Pets were moveable paper animal figures that could be cut out and assembled using sewing rivets for joints. Rey conceived of them as lagniappe to be included in packages of rivets, but they were never produced commercially.
THE STAR-FINDING DEVICES SERIES contains correspondence, legal documents, catalogs, and prototypes for several devices invented by H.A. Rey to aid amateur astronomers in locating constellations. The series includes records for the marketing of one device, the Portable Planetarium, later called the Bowl of Night. Al Hubert, Rey's Waterville Valley neighbor and a manufacturing representative, failed to find a manufacturer in the 1950s. Farquhar Transparent Globes began manufacturing the item sometime around 1980, until John Szal and Mark Buikema, the general manager and plant manager, left to form their own company, Spherical Concepts, in 1981. Having no legal impediment, Spherical Concepts took over production of the Bowl of Night, marketing it through several specialty catalogs. One of their retailers, the Smithsonian Institution, also sold the Star Finder, a similar disk-shaped device, in the early 1980s, causing some disagreement with Margret Rey. The Star-Finding Devices Series also includes prototypes of 13 devices, including the Portable Planetarium. They are arranged roughly in chronological order, based on level of complexity.
THE CHILDREN'S BOOK EDITING SERIES and CREATIVE WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES consist of correspondence, reports, and financial records pertaining to Margret Rey's work as a manuscript editor for Harper & Brothers and Addison-Wesley and a creative writing instructor at Brandeis University from 1954 to 1984. Rey edited manuscripts for Harper & Brothers in 1954-1955, offering brief comments to Ursula Nordstrom of its children's book division. She also reviewed a few titles for the new children's book department at Addison-Wesley in 1967-1968. Finally, Margret Rey worked as an adjunct tutor and instructor in creative writing at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, between 1979 and 1983.
THE PERSONAL SUBGROUP consists of creative works, printed material, correspondence, journals, financial and legal documentation, photographic material, and artifacts created and accumulated by H.A. & Margret Rey in the course of conducting their personal affairs between 1906 and 2002. The subgroup is organized into 14 series: H.A. Rey's personal artwork, Margret Rey's personal artwork, journals & diaries, legal records, financial records, correspondence, photographs, charitable giving, residential records, personal interests, items given to H.A. & Margret Rey, public recognition of Margret Rey, heath & aging, and death & estate matters.
THE H.A. REY'S PERSONAL ARTWORK SERIES contains artistic works created by H.A. Rey for his own personal use between around 1906 and 1976. The series is organized into five subseries: artwork up to 1935, New Years cards, artwork for Margret Rey & friends, sketchbooks and assorted drawings, and crafts.
The Artwork up to 1935 Subseries contains an assortment of finished paintings and drawings created by H.A. Rey between around 1906 and 1935. It includes his earliest known work, a painting of horses and riders in a park, made when he was eight years old, as well as a book of cut paper silhouettes and ink drawings made when he was a teenager. The subseries contains most issues of a clandestine journal that he drew for his classmates while a student at the Wilhelm Gymnasium between 1913 and 1916, as well as a drawing and a postcard of a painting from the same period. Finally, the subseries includes photocopies of cartoons made in Germany and Brazil and a copy of his wedding announcement in 1935.
The New Year Cards Subseries contains artwork, production material, and printed samples of New Year cards sent by the Reys between 1927 and 1976. Although it includes photocopies of three cards made by Hans alone while in Brazil, the majority of the items were sent by Hans & Margret Rey after they arrived in the United States in 1940. They designed and distributed an original card each year until 1976. The earliest cards were all handmade, but those produced after 1942 were printed, although sometimes enhanced with hand painted touches. The subseries also includes files of clippings and catalogs related to greeting cards.
The Artwork for Margret Rey & Friends Subseries consists of pencil, color pencil, watercolor, and ink marker cards and drawings made by H.A. Rey as gifts for his wife, family members, and friends between 1942 and 1973. Most of these items were created for special occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but most of the objects made for Margret Rey are personal gifts made for no particular reason.
The Sketchbooks and Assorted Drawings Subseries consists of assorted casual pencil and color pencil drawings of street and nature scenes, animals, vegetation, and cartoons drawn by H.A. Rey between 1924 and at least as late as 1964. The subseries is organized into five sub-subseries. The Early Sketches and Sketchbooks Sub-Subseries consists of sketchbooks and sketchbook pages filled with pencil drawings of various street and nature scenes in Germany, France, Brazil, and New York City, made between 1924 and 1948. Most of these sketchbooks and pages had been kept together in a single folder. The Drawings of Animals Sub-Subseries consists of files of pencil drawings and clippings created by H.A. Rey as reference pieces for drawing various kinds of animals. The files are arranged alphabetically by type of animal. The Drawings of Vegetation Sub-Subseries includes pencil drawings of trees and plants. The Cartoons Sub-Subseries consists of color pencil drawings of assorted cartoons, mostly involving animals. Finally, the Other Drawings and Art Supplies Sub-Subseries is a category for all other drawings by H.A. Rey, drawings that may or may not have been made by him, and files of Rey's art supplies.
The Crafts Subseries contains three-dimensional objects; decorated notebook dividers, folders, and metal tags; and files of clippings created from H.A. Rey's habit of invention. The subseries includes a variety of homemade three-dimensional objects: folded figures of sailors with accordions, objects made from pieces of scrap material, a model of a windmill, a puppet theater, and a Curious George mask that Rey wore around the neighborhood. It also includes notebook dividers and folders decorated with his literary characters, as well as a box of decorated metal tags that were attached to accordion files in which the Reys stored their records. Finally, H.A. Rey accumulated files of clippings about various gadgets offered for sale. He filed two evidences of conception for products he invented in these clippings files.
THE MARGRET REY'S PERSONAL ARTWORK SERIES contains artistic works created by Margret Rey for her own personal use between 1926 and 1985. The series is organized into three subseries: photographs, prints & drawings; pottery; and needlepoint.
The Photographs, Prints & Drawings Subseries consists of pencil and pastel drawings, photographs, and a linoleum print created by Margret Rey between 1926 and 1961. The sub-subseries includes Margret Rey's earliest known work, a linoleum print of a tree and village made in 1926. The majority of the material is matted photographs. Although the subjects of the photographs and their locations are not always known, most were taken probably in Brazil in the middle of 1935. The sub-subseries also contains four drawings of H.A. Rey made between 1939 and 1961.
The Pottery Subseries consists of pieces of pottery, journals, and other records created by Margret Rey from her interest in pottery and her relationship with the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, between 1965 and 1984. It is organized into two sub-subseries. The Journals & Records Sub-Subseries includes five journals of notes that Rey compiled while constructing pottery and attending Haystack, as well as files of correspondence, pamphlets, and other records resulting from her attendance and financial support of the school. The Pottery Pieces Sub-Subseries consists of 118 pieces of pottery arranged alphabetically by type of work: ashtrays, bowls, candleholders, cups, figurines, plates & platters, teapots, and vases. Rey's figurines tended to be of animals, dragons, people, Curious George, and Jonah and the Whale.
The Needlepoint & Knitting Subseries contains ink, pencil, and color pencil drawings on plain and graph paper; finished needlepoint and knitting pieces; needlepoint samples; correspondence; clippings; and a notebook of knitting patterns created by Margret Rey from her interest in needlepoint and knitting between 1939 and 1985. It is organized into two sub-subseries. The Needlepoint Sub-Subseries contains production material for thirteen distinct projects and finished pieces for eight of these. Rey chose herself and Hans, their homes, animals, and Old Testament stories as subjects for her needlepoint. The material is arranged alphabetically by topic. The Knitting Sub-Subseries consists of a notebook of knitting patterns begun in 1939 and a pair of socks bearing Curious George's face.
THE JOURNALS & DIARIES SERIES contains H.A. Rey's annual journals from 1936 to 1974, a diary kept by Margret Rey between 1925 and 1929, a miscellany journal kept by the Reys between 1941 and 1950, and seven address and telephone number books. The series is organized into two subseries. The Personal Journals & Diaries Subseries contains H.A. Rey's annual journals in which he recorded personal and work notes, Margret Rey's diary of her activities in the late 1920s, and a miscellany journal recording such things as the Reys' social calendar, statistics about dogs, lists of books to read, and other personal notes. The Address & Telephone Number Books Subseries consists of seven books of contact information from 1953 to 1986.
THE LEGAL RECORDS SERIES contains legal records issued between 1873 and 1986 in Germany, Brazil, France, and the United States of America. The records are organized into five subseries by country of issue. The Germany Subseries contains birth, vaccination, and educational records for H.A. & Margret Rey between 1898 and 1927. An 1873 vaccination certificate for Alexander Reyersbach rounds out the subseries. The Brazil Subseries consists of H.A. Rey's naturalization and military service certificates and the couple's marriage documents and passport for the years 1934-1942. The France Subseries contains two 1937 registration books with the Prefecture of Police. The United States of America Subseries, by far the largest, includes naturalization, vaccination, social security, and driving records, as well as passports and other legal records created after 1942. Finally, the Personal Agreements between H.A. & Margret Rey Subseries consists of two legal—and quasi-legal—documents made by the couple: a handwritten donation of literary artwork by Hans to Margret in December 1939 and a notarized joint statement on the history of their artistic collaboration in July 1975.
THE FINANCIAL RECORDS SERIES contains financial records and related correspondence and legal documents documenting the Reys' personal financial dealings from 1936 to 1996. It is organized into four subseries: financial records, 1936-1945; income tax records; family estates; and assorted financial records & instruments.
The Financial Records, 1936-1945 Subseries contains financial records and some legal documents and family correspondence accumulated by the Reys while living in and fleeing France around the time of the Second World War. The Reys had kept most of these records together because they documented their flight from France in May 1940, their subsequent travel through Portugal and Brazil, and their later payment of debts incurred at that time. Most of the records concern their acquisition of badly needed funds during their journey. The subseries also includes three edited lists of the contents of trunks written in German around January 1938, although it is unclear who compiled the lists or why.
The Income Tax Records Subseries contains tax returns and related correspondence for selected years between 1944 and 1973 when the U.S. Internal Revenue Service questioned the Reys' returns. It also contains state and federal returns for the years 1988-1996 and other tax-related files.
The Family Estates Subseries primarily contains material related to the settlement of the estate of David Felix& Gertrude Waldstein, but it also includes a few letters received regarding the estates of two other relatives. The subseries includes a copy of Gertrude Waldstein's will of 1940 and correspondence with Walter Müller, a German attorney, regarding the Waldstein estate from 1953 to 1971. It also includes a photocopy of a handwritten account of the Waldstein family history written perhaps by David Felix Waldstein around August 1941.
The Assorted Financial Records & Instruments Subseries contains a personal financial record book detailing the Reys' income and expenditures from 1940 to 1975; assorted correspondence with their CPA, banks, and financial periodicals; and hand decorated personal checks and blank stock transfer slips signed by H.A. Rey.
THE CORRESPONDENCE SERIES contains correspondence, clippings, photographs, and creative works exchanged between H.A. & Margret Rey and their family members, friends, acquaintances, and other individuals and institutions between 1925 and 1997. The series is organized into three subseries: family, friends & acquaintances, and other personal correspondence.
The Family Subseries consists of correspondence between H.A. & Margret Rey and members of both the Reyersbach and Waldstein families between 1925 and 1995. The Reyersbach Family Sub-Subseries contains letters sent from H.A. Rey to Margret Rey while she attended summer courses at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts between 1969 and 1972. The only sibling of H.A. Rey whose correspondence is represented here is Max Henry Reyersbach. Rey corresponded with him and his widow, Hilde, from 1941 to 1976. The sub-subseries also includes some correspondence with children and grandchildren of H.A. Rey's three siblings. The Waldstein Family Sub-Subseries contains letters received from David Felix & Gertrude Waldstein while they lived in London between 1940 and 1943. The papers include considerable correspondence with all four of Margret Rey's siblings, as well as her only nephew and his two children. Finally, the sub-suberies contains correspondence with numerous cousins of Margret Rey—the descendents of five children of her maternal grandfather, Louis Rosenfeld.
The Friends & Acquaintances Subseries consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs, and creative works by 269 individuals, couples, and families who corresponded with H.A. & Margret Rey between 1925 and 1997. The great majority of the correspondents contributed only a handful of brief messages or holiday cards, if even that much. The most prominent correspondents, contributing at least fifteen pieces, are longtime German and Brazilian friends Ernst & Elisabeth Albers-Schönberg, Anna Sophie Block, Theodor Hagelberg, Hilde Kowsmann, and Kurt & Charlotte Weil; the Reys' American neighbors Ralph & Grace Bean, Alexander & Bibs Hubert, and Grant Thomas; authors and illustrators Maria Silva Cosgrave, Margaret Bloy Graham (Zion) Holmes, Jesse Jackson, and Joseph & Ruth Low; American friends Dr. Richard & Gerda Frank, Sam Greenhouse, Dale Hartkemeyer, and Donald Menzel; and Rima Zolina, the Russian translator of The Stars, and her uncle, Harry Kahan. A sizeable amount of correspondence exists between Margret Rey and Hans Schleger, a German graphic artist with whom she worked while living in England around 1929 and 1930. Margret also corresponded with Schleger's first wife, Annemarie "Kleine" Mendelsohn Schleger; his second wife, Pat Maycock Schleger; and his two daughters by his second wife, Maria & Helen "Lalli" Schleger. The container listing provides a complete alphabetical list of all correspondents.
The Other Personal Correspondence Subseries contains correspondence with eight libraries, universities, and other institutions concerning the donation of artwork by H.A. & Margret Rey between around 1952 and 1994. The subseries also includes a file of assorted personal correspondence dating from 1941 to 1991, mostly consisting of letters sent by the Reys commenting on things they read or heard on radio and television stations, magazines, and newspapers.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS SERIES contains negatives, prints, and slides of H.A. & Margret Rey, members of the Waldstein family, unidentified friends & acquaintances, scenes around France in the late 1930s, and other images made between around 1900 and 1996. It is organized into five subseries: H.A. & Margret Rey; Waldstein family; photographs taken in France, [ca. 1935-1940]; friends & acquaintances; and assorted photographic material. Numerous photographs also may be found in other subgroups and series where images have been filed according to the functions and activities that they document.
The H.A. & Margret Rey Subseries consists of personal and publicity photographs of the Reys taken together and individually between 1908 and 1996. It is organized into three sub-subseries: H.A. & Margret Rey together, H.A. Rey only, and Margret Rey only. The Waldstein Family Subseries contains photographs of the Waldstein and Rosenfeld extended families, especially David Felix & Gertrud Waldstein and their five children, taken between around 1900 and 1980.
The Photographs taken in France, [ca. 1935-1940] Subseries consists of six rolls of negatives and proof prints for photographs taken by the Reys in France between around 1935 and 1940. All of the rolls of negatives have been developed into prints. The prints feature street scenes in Paris, Chateau Feuga in the Dordogne region, H.A. Rey sketching pandas at a zoo, and the Reys visiting with members of the Waldstein family.
The Friends & Acquaintances Subseries consists of images of unidentified friends and acquaintances of the Reys taken in Germany and the United States between around 1900 and 1980. Photographs of identified friends, which are relatively few in number, have been filed in the correspondence series with the correspondence of the individual in question. The Assorted Photographic Material Subseries includes slides, negatives, and prints made for unknown reasons, such as slides of animals and pages from books by the Reys. The subseries also includes the Reys' slide projector.
THE CHARITABLE GIVING SERIES contains ledgers, correspondence, printed material, and financial documentation concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's substantial philanthropic efforts primarily between 1966 and 1995. It is organized into four subseries: charitable giving ledgers, records for individual charities, "Worthy Causes" files, and other charitable giving records.
The Charitable Giving Ledgers Subseries consists of an alphabetical ledger of charitable giving for 1973-1976 and alphabetical summaries of charitable giving for 1978-1988.
The Records for Individual Charities Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, and financial documentation for 240 charities patronized by the Reys between 1944 and 2002 (bulk 1966-1995). The Reys gave primarily to environmental conservation organizations, liberal political and social causes, private schools and universities, Jewish philanthropic entities, medical research organizations, and artistic and cultural bodies. They patronized national organizations as well as state and local bodies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The container listing provides a complete alphabetical list of all charities that the Reys supported. In addition to the records kept by the Reys themselves, the files for a few charities include material concerning posthumous donations made after Margret Rey's death in 1996.
The "Worthy Causes" Files Subseries consists of four files of correspondence and printed material accumulated by H.A. Rey concerning topics that he declared "Worthy Causes," although it is uncertain if he ever made contributions to organizations dedicated to these issues. The topics are anti-ballistic missiles, conservation, mass transit, and transportation.
The Other Charitable Giving Records Subseries consists of letters received and printed material regarding the Curious George Foundation, a charitable foundation established by Margret Rey in 1989, and a file of letters received and printed material from assorted charities for 1973.
THE RESIDENTIAL RECORDS SERIES contains legal and financial documentation, correspondence, architectural drawings, artwork, photographic material, and printed material pertaining to H.A. & Margret Rey's residences in New York City, New York; Waterville Valley, New Hampshire; and Cambridge, Massachusetts between about 1941 and 1997. The series is organized into three subseries for each place of residence.
The New York City, New York Subseries consists of two drawings of the Reys' home at 42 Washington Square South, correspondence and a clipping regarding their apartment at 82 Washington Place, and assorted photographs of New York City. The material dates from around 1941 until 1961.
The Waterville Valley, New Hampshire Subseries contains legal and financial documentation, correspondence, architectural drawings, artwork, maps, photographic material, and printed material concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's summer home in Waterville Valley, their relationship with the town, and the ultimate use of their cottage for a nursery. The material dates between 1958 and 1997 and is organized into five sub-subseries: planning & construction of cottage, household matters, community relations, Waterville Wig Wag, and sale & reuse of property.
The Planning & Construction of Cottage Sub-Subseries contains legal documentation, architectural drawings, artwork, maps, and photographic material documenting the Reys' purchase of land and the planning and construction of their cottage in Waterville Valley in the summer of 1958. The Household Matters Sub-Subseries contains correspondence and printed material regarding household matters such as utilities, property taxes, and windstorm damage from 1958 to 1985. It also includes photographic prints and slides of the cottage, outbuildings, and grounds.
The Community Relations Sub-Subseries consists of correspondence, printed material, and photographic material documenting the Reys' relationship with the town of Waterville Valley between 1965 and 1991. It details their participation in various community activities, investment in an area ski lodge, and interest in local scientific institutions. The Waterville Wig Wag Sub-Subseries consists of incomplete runs of the local newssheet, the Waterville Wig Wag, for 1970-1991, as well as letters to the editor written by Margret Rey and Scoopy. Many of the issues feature articles and letters by or about the Reys. Finally, the Sale & Reuse of Property Sub-Subseries contains correspondence, legal documentation, printed material, and photographic material documenting Margret Rey's sale of her property in 1988 and the conversion of the cottage into a nursery in 1993. It also includes an assortment of material documenting the activities of the Curious George Cottage from 1997.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts Subseries contains financial documentation, correspondence, architectural drawings, photographic material, and printed material concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's winter home in Cambridge and their relationship with the city between 1964 and 1991. It is organized into three sub-subseries: purchase & renovation of 14 Hilliard Street, household matters, and community relations.
The Purchase & Renovation of 14 Hilliard Street Sub-Subseries consists of correspondence, floor plans, drawings, bills, and invoices concerning the Reys' purchase of the house and its renovation by H. Tobiason Builders, Inc. between 1964 and 1966. The Household Matters Sub-Subseries contains correspondence, bills, invoices, and printed material regarding household matters such as furnishings, fuel, repairs, and products between 1964 and 1971. The sub-subseries also includes photographic prints and slides of the house in 1966. The Community Relations Sub-Subseries consists of correspondence and printed material regarding community activities and issues between 1964 and 1991. The material typically deals with the Cambridge Civic Association and opposition to new development in the neighborhood.
THE PERSONAL INTERESTS SERIES contains correspondence, printed material, photographic material, journals, creative works, financial documentation, and maps related to various topics of interest to H.A. & Margret Rey. The series is organized into nine subseries: alternative sources of energy, gardening, travel, entertaining & guests, cocker spaniels, amateur astronomy, political & social issues, art & literature, and other interests.
The Alternative Sources of Energy Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, artwork, and manuscripts concerning H.A. Rey's interest in alternative sources of energy in place of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Almost all of the material dates from the 1970s. Although open to solar and hydroelectric power, Rey was especially interested in the potential of wind to supply electricity. The subseries includes production and printed material for an article, letters, and leaflets that Rey wrote in support of his views, as well as correspondence with individuals and organizations interested in other sources of energy. The subseries also contains files of clippings on energy-related topics that are arranged both alphabetically and topically.
The Gardening Subseries consists of journals, correspondence, and printed material concerning Margret Rey's interest in gardening between 1959 and 1984. The subseries contains three daily gardening journals inconsistently kept between 1959 and 1974. It also includes files on landscaping at the Reys' house in Cambridge, gardening information and advice, and gardening products.
The Travel Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, photographic material, financial documentation, a journal, and maps regarding H.A. & Margret Rey's actual and proposed travels in Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Israel between 1933 and 1986. The subseries is organized into five sub-subseries: Europe, United States of America, Caribbean & Bermuda, Israel, and other travel records. Each Regional Sub-Subseries contains material documenting the Reys' travels in each specific region, as well as information collected in consideration of trips never taken. The Other Travel Records Sub-Subseries consists of a mileage and time log kept between 1959 and 1972 and correspondence with the American Automobile Association in 1972-1975.
The Entertaining & Guests Subseries contains personal notes, printed material, and a phonograph record concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's party planning, gift giving, guest hosting, and cooking between 1953 and 1986. The subseries includes planning lists and invitations for New Year, birthday, and cocktail parties, as well as a phonograph recording of Margret Rey singing for Hans' birthday in 1953. It also includes Christmas gift lists for 1956-1995, a houseguest register probably used at several addresses for 1959-1966, and a German cookbook and handwritten recipe book.
The Cocker Spaniels Subseries consists of registration and pedigree records, personal notes, licenses, receipts, printed material, drawings, and photographs concerning cocker spaniels owned by the Reys and their general interest in the breed between 1941 and 1989. H.A. & Margret Rey owned five cocker spaniels: Charcoal (1942), Jamie (1953), Scoopy (1967), Andy (1977), and Jeannie (1993). The subseries includes material for the first four dogs, the fifth having been willed to Lay Lee Ong upon Margret Rey's death. Subject files exist for each individual cocker spaniel and two other files contain items related to the Reys' dogs. The subseries also includes assorted catalogs and clippings about cocker spaniels and lists of kennels.
The Amateur Astronomy Subseries contains notebooks, charts, tables, photographic slides, drawings, correspondence, and printed material regarding H.A. Rey's interest in amateur astronomy between 1955 and 1976. The subseries contains material related to astronomy but unrelated to any published or unpublished works or star finding devices. It contains four notebooks of astronomical notes and observations made between 1960 and 1974; several charts and tables for use in stargazing; and slides and large drawings of constellation charts, calendar charts, and other astronomical subjects probably used for public lectures. The subseries also includes correspondence and printed material for the Amateur Astronomers Association, the Astronomical League, the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston, United Scientific Company, and other individuals interested in astronomical subjects.
The Political & Social Issues Subseries consists of correspondence, printed material, a photograph, and a button reflecting H.A. & Margret Rey's interest in liberal political and social issues between 1951 and 1993. H.A. Rey produced almost all of the correspondence and clippings in these files prior to his death in 1977. He was most concerned with the military-industrial complex, the war in Vietnam, nuclear energy, and environmental protection. Margret Rey shared similar liberal concerns but did not begin writing to newspapers and national public officials until the 1990s.
The Art & Literature Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, and creative works concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's interest in artistic and literary subjects between 1948 and 1983. It contains a substantial number of clippings on the publishing industry, literary figures, writing, photography, and painting. The subseries contains correspondence regarding the Reys' magazine subscriptions, as well as concise lists of all the periodicals that they received. It contains what appear to be handwritten lyrics to songs and an English translation of a fragment of Aber Anne hiess Marie (But Mary's Name Was Ann) by Hugo Hartung. Finally, the subseries includes covers from The New Yorker, book reviews from American periodicals, and book catalogs from Germany and Italy.
The Other Interests Subseries consists of printed material concerning other interests held by the Reys. The most prominent interests represented are foreign languages, wordplay, and the peculiarities of language—topics of great interest to H.A. Rey. The subseries contains academic essays, publications, and clippings for these subjects for the period 1954-1973. The subseries also includes clippings on obituaries, education, science & technology, food, household products and concerns, and other interests. It closes with a file of cross-reference sheets used by H.A. Rey in his filing system and two maps.
THE ITEMS GIVEN TO H.A. & MARGRET REY SERIES consists of 18 pieces of artwork and five books given to the Reys by friends and acquaintances between around 1933 and 1996. The series is organized into two subseries—artwork and books—and the material in each subseries is arranged chronologically. The Artwork Subseries contains 18 pieces of artwork given to the Reys by friends and acquaintances between around 1933 and 1996. The most prominent benefactors are the Reys' Waterville Valley neighbor, Bibs Hubert, and children's book illustrator, Margaret Bloy Graham (Zion) Holmes. Hubert presented the Reys with a painting and a drawing of their cottage and illustrated poems about the couple. Holmes made three original birthday cards for Margret Rey between 1965 and 1992, as well as an undated painting of their cottage. The Books Subseries consists of five books given to the Reys by the authors between 1968 and 1989.
THE PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF MARGRET REY SERIES contains certificates, a plaque, videocassettes, an audiocassette, and clippings related to the public attention that Margret Rey attained during the last decade of her life between 1985 and 1996. The material is arranged chronologically. The series contains certificates from the cities of Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, and the State of Texas, as well as video and audio recordings of Rey's appearances on television and radio programs during the period. Much of the material concerns the huge amount of publicity generated for her ninetieth birthday in May 1996.
THE HEALTH & AGING SERIES contains correspondence, printed material, photographs, and a journal concerning H.A. & Margret Rey's health and experiences with aging between 1952 and around 1996. The series includes correspondence, personal notes, and a journal documenting the physical and mental health of the Reys between 1952 and around 1996. Margret Rey's difficult experience with widowhood is recorded in the aforementioned files and in the printed material that she collected on aging and retirement issues. She began seeking a live-in companion in 1979 and eventually hired Lay Lee Ong in 1981. The series contains two files of letters received, clippings, and photographs concerning Lay Lee Ong and other applicants for the position between 1979 and 1983. The files in the series are arranged chronologically.
THE DEATH & ESTATE MATTERS SERIES contains correspondence, legal documentation, printed material, and audiocassettes concerning the deaths of, memorials to, and planning and settlement of the estates of H.A. & Margret Rey between 1960 and 2000. The series is organized into two subseries for each of the Reys. The H.A. Rey Subseries is organized into two sub-subseries. The Estate Settlement Sub-Subseries consists of correspondence and legal documentation regarding the planning and settlement of his estate between 1970 and 1980. Most of the material is arranged chronologically in files 226/4-5, but some bundles of papers on specific subjects have been kept together and placed in separate topical files. The Obituaries & Condolence Letters Sub-Subseries includes obituaries and condolence letters from friends, admirers, and schoolchildren in 1977 and 1978. The Margret Rey Subseries consists of legal documentation on the planning of her estate and articles describing its acrimonious settlement. It also includes obituaries; memorials from her friends; and a program, transcript, and audio recording of her memorial service on February 9, 1997.
THE DE GRUMMOND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE COLLECTION SUBGROUP contains correspondence, printed material, photographs, clothing, and a stuffed doll pertaining to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection's acquisition, organization, exhibition, and management of the H.A. & Margret Rey Papers between 1966 and 2002. The de Grummond Collection's staff created and accumulated most of the items in the subgroup. It is organized into four series: correspondence, exhibitions, Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, and other material.
THE CORRESPONDENCE SERIES consists of correspondence between H.A. & Margret Rey and Lena de Grummond between 1966 and 1977. The correspondence primarily concerns the donation of material, but it also includes New Years cards sent to de Grummond by the Reys. The series also holds two pieces of correspondence between the de Grummond Collection and other institutions holding material by the Reys from 2002.
THE EXHIBITIONS SERIES contains correspondence, printed material, and photographs for exhibitions of Rey artwork facilitated by the de Grummond Collection between 1991 and 2002. It is organized into two subseries by location of exhibition: Japan and the United States of America. The Japan Subseries contains correspondence, printed material, and photographs for planned and actual showings of material between 1991 and 2001. The bulk of the material concerns two series of major traveling exhibitions held in 1999 and 2001. The United States of America Subseries contains printed material, clothing, and a mayoral proclamation from the City of Hattiesburg for the "Curious George Comes to Hattiesburg" exhibit of 1999-2000. The subseries also includes a small amount of printed material for a second traveling exhibition in 2001-2002.
THE WHITEBLACK THE PENGUIN SEES THE WORLD SERIES consists of a file of clippings and correspondence concerning the posthumous publication of the book in 2000. Anita Silvey, vice president and publisher of children's books for Houghton Mifflin, discovered the original artwork for the book at the de Grummond Collection in October 1999 and arranged for its publication the following year. Dee Jones, curator of the collection, created the file from the resulting publicity. The series also includes an imitation Whiteblack the Penguin stuffed doll used in conjunction with the book for a promotional campaign by AmSouth Bank in Mississippi.
THE OTHER MATERIAL SERIES consists of assorted clippings regarding the H.A. & Margret Rey Papers for 1990-2001, clothing for the big Curious George stuffed doll in the de Grummond Collection's display area, and assorted notes created during the processing of the papers in 2002. Among the processors' notes are two sets of helpful research aids originally created for the benefit of the processors: a limited chronology of the lives of H.A. & Margret Rey and genealogical tables of the Reyersbach, Rosenfeld, and Waldstein families.
Noncirculating; available for research.
The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.
Users of the container listing of the Rey Papers will undoubtedly notice a great number of breaks in the usual numerical sequence of box and folder numbers. The extensive amount of oversized and odd-sized material in the papers accounts for most of these rifts, while the acquisition of additional records at the eleventh hour of processing explains others. Boxes 1-230 progress in a near-perfect numerical sequence, but boxes bearing higher numbers appear scattered throughout the container listing. The following account will help clarify the reasons for and nature of these discrepancies in box and folder numbering.
Boxes 231-291 hold oversized and odd-sized material, especially framed literary artwork and samples of merchandise. Boxes 231-238, 240-241 & 243-260 contain framed artwork for published books. Boxes 239 & 242 were used to store flat oversized items that occasionally surfaced when processing the Rey Papers. Box 261 holds audio recordings, videocassettes, and film; box 262 contains phonograph records and a few stuffed dolls; and box 264 contains only clothing. Boxes 263 & 265-267 hold framed artwork for unpublished works while boxes 268-286 contain merchandise samples (box 282 has products made only of wood to prevent the damage wood out-gassing can cause to paper). Finally, boxes 286-291 contain items from the non-literary work and personal subgroups.
Boxes 292-303 contain material received by the de Grummond Collection in late July and early August 2002. The items arrived just as the processors were completing the rehousing of the bulk of the Rey Papers. Some of the new material was placed with appropriate series in existing boxes, but it was too late to incorporate larger files and new pottery with things that already had been rehoused. Instead, the outstanding material from the summer donations has been housed together in boxes 292-303, but the descriptions for each folder and/or item have been inserted among those of the appropriate series in the container listing. Box 292 contains only wooden items and boxes 293-297 hold paper files and a couple of merchandise samples. Boxes 298-303 contain pottery pieces.
Some greatly oversized material in the Rey Papers is stored in tubes and map case drawers. Tubes 1-6 contain press sheets and page proofs for published books, an advertising poster, and personal artwork by H.A. Rey. Map case drawers 3-J and 3-O contain constellation charts, press sheets, promotional posters, a drawing, and photographs. Descriptions for each item have been inserted among those of the appropriate series in the container listing.
(Identify the item and cite the series), H.A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, University of Southern Mississippi Libraries.
These papers were donated to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection of the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries by H.A. & Margret Rey and Lay Lee Ong between 1966 and 2002.
Processed by Hans Rasmussen, C. Alder, and Ann Mulloy Ashmore, August 2002. Encoded into EAD Version 1.0 by Danielle L. Bishop. This finding aid is the product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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