- Home
- Collections
- Dr. Seuss
- Our Story
- Discover More
- Sign in
My discovery of the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection began more than twenty-five years ago. At the time, I was curating an exhibition exploring the overlap between surrealism and popular culture — a search that ultimately led me to Audrey Geisel, Ted Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss) wife. I hoped to speak with her about the idea, not realizing the conversation would change the trajectory of my career.
Audrey eventually invited me to her home — a spectacular place in every sense. While we were talking, she reached toward what looked like a simple Cat in the Hat book on a shelf. But instead of removing a book, she pulled a concealed handle, and the entire bookcase swung open. Behind it was a hidden room containing seventy years’ worth of paintings, drawings, and sculptures that had never been seen by the public.
I hope my mouth didn’t actually drop to the floor, but I’m fairly sure it did.
Inside that secret space were not only paintings and a remarkable assortment of hats, but also Ted Geisel’s whimsical taxidermy sculptures — some displayed on the walls of the room we were standing in, others placed thoughtfully around her living room. In my astonishment, I hadn’t even noticed at first that several of the paintings hanging right in front of me were his as well.
The family, of course, knew these works existed. But to the rest of the world, they had been completely hidden. And that moment of discovery — that feeling of uncovering something deeply personal and wonderfully imaginative — became the heartbeat of the collection that followed.
My name is Bob Chase, and that moment more than twenty-five years ago became the beginning of The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. Since then, it has grown and evolved into the collection you know today.
What many people don’t realize is that Ted Geisel — Dr. Seuss — was not only a beloved children’s book author but also a prolific painter and sculptor. His artistic journey stretches back to 1926, when he arrived in Paris just as the surrealists were debuting their groundbreaking work. Ted absorbed their ideas immediately — he was a cultural sponge — and those early influences became the seeds of a creative universe that continues to surprise and inspire generations.
From the moment that bookcase opened, discovery has been at the center of everything we do — and it remains at the heart of what we share with the world today.
Excerpt from Secrets of the Deep published by the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection
"I have said that Ted knew he would leave big footprints after he was gone, but he couldn’t possibly have known the astounding impact his legacy would have on the worlds of art, literature, pop, and high culture.
It is poetic that one of Ted’s most treasured possessions is a fossil given to him by his father in 1933. It’s a heavy stone slab embedded with a dinosaur footprint eleven inches wide and sixteen inches long. Provenance placed its discovery near Holyoke, Massachusetts, and Yale anthropologists believe it to be 150 million years old; Ted called it “the oldest antique in the world.” He loved that piece and always kept it close, moving it with him wherever he lived. Today it is prominently displayed at the entryway of our home, Seuss House.
For me this “big footprint” is symbolic of a life that made a permanent mark; a life held in universal high esteem; a life whose joyful rhymes and far-off fantasies speak still to an ever-growing world of readers.
This in-depth look at Ted’s artistic life ventures through chapters of his career that many never knew existed, from his days as an advertising illustrator to his work on the war effort, his political cartoons, and of course the images that connected so many children and parents in an enlightened approach to reading. Here you will also find key examples of his most treasured private works, some of which are familiar and others that are just now seeing the light of day. Through it all, it is Ted’s undeniable, consistent, and unique artistic “footprint” that carried him through so many personal and professional adventures.
It is with great pleasure that I share Ted, his art, his imagination, and his boundless creativity with you through the pages of this book. I am gratified to carry out Ted’s wishes and have these works revealed to the world."
- Audrey Geisel
SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA
An archive of over 20,000 artifacts belonging to Ted Geisel, is housed at the Geisel Library at the University of California San Diego. It is the ongoing commitment of the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection to always discover the undiscovered, to reveal the hidden.
We have spent over 25 years exploring the archive, one artifact at a time, an ongoing discovery that continues to reveal the mastery of this American icon.
In October of 2025 The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection welcomed a select group of authorized galleries and collectors to explore the archives with us, learn more about the collection, and enjoy exclusive access to preview new artwork. To learn more about how you can join future expeditions to the archive and collector events, contact your authorized gallery representative
- Bob Chase, Founder
