Crews are swarming Public Square in downtown Cleveland this month for the filming of “Genesis,” a new version of the Superman story from Warner Brothers starring David Corenswet as the caped hero and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. 

While the stars traipse around a fictional Metropolis, complete with Hollywood magic that turned Cleveland buildings into the iconic Daily Planet newsroom and fake restaurants, a real piece of superhero history lives steps away in the Cleveland Public Library (CPL).

On the second floor of CPL’s downtown main branch, a desk is on display. It’s the desk where thousands of original Superman comic strips were drawn up in Cleveland.

Superman’s Cleveland roots

Superman was born in Cleveland in 1933, created by two high school students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The pair attended Glenville High School, where Siegel wrote for the school newspaper. It was Siegel who conceptualized the character of Superman, and he then called on his friend Shuster to bring the character to life through illustrations.

After failing to promote the comic strip themselves, Siegel and Shuster sold the comic in 1938 to National Comics Publication, which would eventually rebrand to DC Comics. The story, which was composed of 13 comic strips, sold for $130, a sum equivalent to about $3,000 in 2024.

When Siegel and Shuster sold the story of Superman, they forfeited any rights to the character. As the caped hero gained popularity, his creators slipped into the shadows.

In Cleveland, however, the two Glenville High alumni remain true hometown heroes.

Local Superman memorabilia 

Siegel came up with Superman in his boyhood home at 10622 Kimberly Ave. Eventually, the family moved to the East Side suburb University Heights, where Siegel continued to work on Superman comic strips. While the original home is no longer in the Siegel family, the desk Siegel worked on for years in University Heights was preserved by his daughter, Laura Siegel Larson.

Siegel Larson donated the desk to CPL in 2017, and it now lives on the second floor of the main library branch.

Behind the 1940s-era desk stands a steel model of Superman that, in 2015, was proposed to be part of a 2,300-square-foot plaza that would pay homage to the hometown hero and his creators in downtown Cleveland. A sign at the library exhibit reads, “Sadly, the full-size statue and plaza were never finished.”

In 2019, local artist David Deming donated the statue to the library.

Just last week, the Siegel & Shuster Society announced revamped plans to again bring the Superman plaza to life in downtown Cleveland. They are seeking donations to fund the $2.5 million project, which will be placed on near the Huntington Convention Center on the corner of St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street.

Find more details on the nonprofit’s website.

“We also have a huge collection of Superman material, memorabilia and ephemera that you’re welcome to view in our gallery space as well,” CPL Center for Local and Global History Librarian Terry Metter told Signal Cleveland.

In the gallery are a selection of the library’s collection of thousands of old Superman comics, posters, toys, clothing and more dating back to 1939.

Filming is wrapping up for the “Genesis” movie, but Clevelanders can always enjoy the excitement of Superman in Cleveland in the downtown library.