Sandoz exhibit reveals fairytales’ ‘Grimm’ truth

Past tall grasses that fall over the cement sidewalk is the Mari Sandoz Center. This building is not, as one student recently commented, the crypt where the bodies of former Chadron State College Presidents are kept. Instead, the Mari Sandoz Center houses museum exhibits, the current one being “Grimm Changes,” a Brothers Grimm exhibit that may draw students out of the hot prairie grasses and into the welcoming cool and educational air of the Sandoz Center.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Brothers Grimm Children and Household Tales, which was written in 1812 by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The exhibit, titled “Grimm Changes: From Folk Tales to Fairy Tales,” features different books that show the evolution of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The displays have different adaptations of the fairy tales, including everything from Caldecott-winning books to Golden Press books.

The stories, according to Wilhelm Grim, were not meant to be suitable for children. “The aim of our collection… was that the poetry living in it be effective… that it therefore became a manual of manners,” a plaque in the exhibit quotes. The exhibit shows the change in some of the stories, including Rapunzel, the first edition of which had Rapunzel wondering why her clothes were tight. The first publishing of Rapunzel was meant to warn against pre-marital sex, but was changed in the second publishing to be more child-friendly.

The exhibit presents different adaptations of several different stories, Rapunzel being one of the more prominent stories.

Sarah Polak, Sandoz Center Director, says that she believes students are excited to learn more about the old, darker side of the stories.

“I think a lot of students are familiar with the stories and we’re planning some activities for the exhibit,” Polak says. She is hopeful that the familiar name will draw students into the Sandoz Center.

Polak also says that the current exhibit ties in well with what the school is doing. “I searched for something that would tie in with gnomes,” Polak says.

The exhibit is provided by the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Generally the exhibit does not travel. However, Polak wrote to the Smathers Libraries for special permission.

“I wrote a letter saying what we [the Sandoz Center] are about, and they agreed,” Polak says.

Polak says that she is very excited about the exhibit because it’s a topic people can connect to. “Most students have read the stories or at least seen the movies.”

The exhibit will be showing in the Sandoz Center until Oct. 11, giving interested students time to drop in and learn more about the stories they grew up with, as well as pick up a candy book mark and cookie notepad.