Springfield History Exhibits
And to Think that He Saw It in Springfield!
Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History
Springfield native Dr. Seuss is a household name, but many people don’t realize that the buildings, people and landscapes from his childhood in Springfield appear again and again in his books. This exhibit includes some remarkable comparisons of his fanciful illustrations with actual photographs of places and things in Springfield that he would have known. For example, the huge old building with four belching smokestacks that was the Springfield Gasworks appears as the Thneeds factory in The Lorax. Ted Geisel’s family experiences, the schools he attended, and the sights and sounds that were all around him helped form the special imaginary world that can only be called Seussian.
Images: Thneeds factory in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. (top, ™ and © 1971 by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.); Springfield Gasworks, early 20th-century (bottom).
