Nebraska History Museum unveils two new exhibits running through 2026

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A pair of new exhibits at the Nebraska History Museum shed light on the untold stories of Holocaust survivors.

The first, titled “Portraits of Survival,” features black and white portraits of survivors who found their way to Nebraska, focusing on individuals from the Lincoln and Omaha communities. The idea for this project came in conjunction with the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht in 2008.

The Nebraska History Museum said the goal of this project was capture each person in a peaceful moment without delving into painful memories.

“You have various people that survived the Holocaust that found homes all across the world and they found homes including here in Nebraska,” Chris Goforth with the Nebraska History said. “It just shows that there is a connection to people regardless of where you’re from or who you are to everyone else throughout the entire world.”

The second exhibit, “The True Wartime Escape,” explores the backstory of the authors behind the “Curious George” series, Martha and H.A. Reys.

While many people know and love the Curious George books, what’s not as well-known is their tale of survival.

After the German occupation of France in 1940, Jews faced exclusion from public life and persecution. The Reys escaped France, traveled through various parts of Europe, and eventually arrived in the United States. Among their belongings were early manuscripts for “Curious George.”

The exhibition displays an assortment of watercolor pictures from a biography written by Louise Borden and illustrated by Alan Drummond. Drummond’s illustrations depict Borden’s words as picture stories. Viewers can follow the pictures and image labels to accompany the Reys as their story unfolds in the book.

“What this exhibit really does is not only showcase the personal history of the authors behind “Curious George” and what they went through,” Goforth said. “But also shows how creativity can survive and in times where it seems like the world is coming to an end and this is one of those amazing bright spots.”

Both exhibits, on display at the Nebraska History Museum through 2026, are from the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha, NE.

The museum, located at 131 Centennial Mall N, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.