Seuss, Szyk Wielded Pen and Paintbrush in Waging War Against Nazis
By Melody Parker, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
Jan. 14–CEDAR FALLS — For nearly 70 years, American families have curled up with Dr. Seuss’ whimsical characters like Sneetch, Yertle the Turtle and Cat in the Hat. His rhyming stories are as cozy and familiar to readers as a fleecy bathrobe and fuzzy slippers.
Seuss books are beloved for their zany, almost simplistic illustrations and fun with language, but long before he became celebrated for educating children, the author/illustrator had another mission: educating the public about dangers posed by Adolf Hitler and fascism, American isolationism and anti-Semitism and supporting American war efforts during World War II.
Seuss’ political cartoons are the focus of a traveling exhibition, “Dr. Seuss Wants You!,” which opens Tuesday at the UNI Museum.
“Even without seeing the signature, there’s no mistaking the artist. His cartoons show the beginnings of some of the creatures we’ve become familiar with in his later work,” says Romney Hall, museum public affairs coordinator. “He was quite famous at the time for his political cartoons and lampooning of figures like Hitler and Mussolini, and pillorying isolationists like Charles Lindbergh. Today people know little about that aspect of Dr. Seuss.”
The show, which also features a display of World War II-related memorabilia, is in partnership with the UNI Gallery of Art’s current exhibition, “Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk.” Both exhibitions are under the umbrella, “Illuminations of the Holocaust,” in conjunction with the Holocaust Remembrance and Education Program at the University of Northern Iowa.
Szyk, a Polish immigrant who created propaganda art in the 1940s to call attention to Nazi atrocities in Europe, is celebrated as a “great artist and champion of democratic and Jewish values.” Hitler put a price tag on Szyk’s head, while the American press described him as “a citizen-soldier of the free world.”
Hall describes both Seuss and Szyk as “artist/warriors,” who used their artistic talents to speak out.
Szyk’s artwork, reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts from the 16th centuries, is intricately detailed in sumptuous colors — and biting imagery, says Darrell Taylor, UNI Gallery of Art director. “Szyk himself said art was not his aim, but his means for getting his message across. It is beautiful work, a creative narrative that at the same time reads like a political cartoon.”
The joint exhibitions complement each other in content, while presenting contrasting styles and mediums.
Born Theodore Seuss Geisel, Seuss drew more than 400 political cartoons in the 1940s, and joined the Army in 1943. He was commander of the Animation Department of the First Motion Picture Unit of the U.S. Army Air Forces, writing propaganda films and army training films. He also won several Oscars, including a documentary on Japanese culture and an animated nonmilitary film.
Several of Seuss’ familiar characters have political predecessors in his cartoon, including Cat in the Hat’s famous red-and-white striped top hat worn by Uncle Sam in Seuss’ wartime cartoons. His children’s books also contained serious themes: “Yertle the Turtle” is a cautionary tale against dictators; “The Sneetches” is a plea for racial tolerance; and “Horton Hears a Who” is a parable about the American occupation of Japan.
World War II items from the UNI Museum’s permanent collection add another element to the show, including a flag from one of Hitler’s homes and a piece of a Japanese Zero shot down during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Visitors to the UNI Gallery of Art will have an opportunity to share their personal perceptions of Szyk’s work and subject matter by “writing on the walls in a smaller gallery. We’ll have paper on the walls so people can feel involved in the show. It gives an interpretive aspect to the show,” Taylor says. “We’re also keeping this show longer than we usually do because we think it’s important for the public to have a chance to view it.”
Szyk has been called “the greatest 20th-century master illustrator in the tradition of 16th century miniaturist painters.” He escaped Europe in the wake of the Holocaust and emigrated to the United States in 1940.
Contact Melody Parker at (319) 291-1429 or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.
“Dr. Seuss Wants You!” Political Cartoons of WWII, Tuesday through May 20.
Opening reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
University Museum, 3219 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls, www.uni.edu/museum
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday
“Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk,” now through March 1.
UNI Gallery of Art, NE corner of Hudson Road and 27th Street, Cedar Falls, www.uni.edu/artdept/gallery
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Featured event:
Lecture: Racelle Weiman will discuss the works of Dr. Seuss.
7 p.m. Feb. 17
UNI Center for Energy and Environmental Education Auditorium, Campus Street and Jennings Drive, Cedar Falls.
Free and open to the public
Weiman is executive director of the Institute for Interreligious, Intercultural Dialogue at Temple University in Philadelphia.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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