Both the whimsical fantasy known to most current and former children and the fine art paintings kept a secret by the man behind the cat during his lifetime will be on display at a new Museum of Science and Industry exhibit on Dr. Seuss opening Thursday.
Calling for Chicagoans to "get loose" with the doctor, "There’s Fun to be Done! Dr. Seuss & The Art of Invention" will be on display at the Chicago museum, the largest institution to date to host the touring exhibit, according to a museum release.
The exhibition will include the creatures, places and things that made the children's author famous, including a his early editorial cartoons, drawings and advertisements, sculptures and even a "Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy," showcasing Theodor Seuss Geisel's early fantastical creations, fashioned from his zookeeper father's specimens, like elk horns and turtle shells, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
“He had a wonderful, wild imagination, an ability to make nonsense fun and educational,” said Bill Dreyer, the curator of the artistic portion of the Seuss exhibit, told the Sun-Times.
The MSI exhibit will also feature a lesser-known side of Geisel's creative work: fine artwork the author and illustrator painted secretly over seventy years, more than 40 of which were found hidden after his death in 1991, according to the Sun-Times. Replications of the work recreated with permission from Geisel's widow Audrey will be showcased in a gallery within the exhibit.
Like the Dr. Seuss books, "Dr. Seuss and the Art of Invention" will be tailored to kids, and adults keen on acting like them. Interactive stations like magnetic boards encouraging visitors to create stories with the words from favorite Dr. Seuss books, gears to invent air purifying machines based on "The Lorax," Oobleck, the very muck that runs amuck in Bartholomew and the Oobleck, according to the MSI website.
The exhibit opens Thursday and runs through Jan. 8, Fox Chicago reports. Tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $2 for kids aged three to 11, in addition to general museum admission.
Preview some of Dr. Seuss' rare and early artwork:
Flickr photo by bredgur.