Hans and Margret Rey
The large home facing down the fairway is on the site of a summer cottage built in 1958 by Hans (H.A.) and Margret Rey, authors of the Curious George books.
H.A. and Margret Rey knew each other growing up in Hamburg, Germany. Hans served in the German Army during World War I and then studied at universities in Munich and Hamburg before moving to Brazil in the 1920s.
Margret studied art at Bauhaus and the University of Munich in the late 1920s and then worked in advertising in Germany. In 1935 she moved to Rio de Janeiro to escape the rise of the Nazis and to see Hans, whom she married later that year. In 1936 they relocated to Paris. In June 1940, just before the Nazis took over the city, they left Paris on bicycles with only a few possessions. They brought with them a manuscript of the first Curious George book. They made their way to Spain and Portugal, then to Brazil, and finally to New York City.
The first book featuring Curious George (originally named Fifi) was published in the US in 1941, and by 1966 they had published six more. In 1952 Hans published The Stars: A New Way to See Them, which provides constellation diagrams more easily visualized than the traditional diagrams. His interest was drawn to Waterville Valley in part because of its dark skies. They began staying in the valley in the summer and built their cottage here in 1958.
In Waterville, Hans gave “chalk talks,” drawing animals and embellishing the letters of children’s names. He also provided “turtle rides” in the pool and gave astronomy lessons at night. These might be attended by his unseen friend “Mr. Smith,” since Hans was an amateur ventriloquist. The Reys moved their winter residence from New York City to Cambridge, MA, in 1963.
The Rey cottage is now located next to the Waterville Valley Elementary School. It is home to the Rey Cultural Center and the Curious Cottage Preschool. The Rey Cultural Center offers educational programs enjoyed by children and adults year round.
Waterville Valley Historical Society
wvhistorybuffs@gmail.com
