A long-lost dress worn by Judy Garland in 1939's "Wizard of Oz" will be going up for sale at an auction house next month.
For nearly four decades the gingham pinafore dress that Garland's character Dorothy wore in the film was believed to have been lost but last year it was rediscovered in a shoebox in the drama department at the Catholic University of America. Now the dress will be going up for sale in Los Angeles on May 24, auction house Bonhams announced.
Bonhams has estimated the dress' value at between $800,000 and $1.2 million and has matched it to the scene in the "Wizard of Oz" in which Dorothy faces the Wicked Witch of the West in the Witch's Castle. It is believed that there are only four costumes in existence today, and this particular dress is one of just two that still include the white blouse.
The dress came to the Catholic University of America after being offered as a gift to former head of drama, Rev. Gilbert Hartke, by Mercedes McCambridge, a Hollywood actress and artist in residence at the University in 1973.
Several years later it went missing and was only discovered in May 2021 by chance. Staff member Matt Riva recalled finding the dress folded up in a shoebox that had been placed in a trash bag in his office. On it was a note from the former chairman stating he had found the dress while cleaning up his own office.
"Needless to say, I have found many interesting things in the Hartke during my time at CUA, but I think this one takes the cake," Riva said at the time.
Proceeds generated from the sale of the dress will be donated to the university's department of drama.
"Discovering this historic dress was a memorable moment for The Catholic University of America and we are proud to present it for auction, so that the next collector can own a piece of history," said Jacqueline J. Leary-Warsaw, Dean of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art. "While parting with this dress is bittersweet, the proceeds are going to help support future generations training for professional careers in theatre. It might just be that the funding helps to prepare the next Mercedes McCambridge or Judy Garland!"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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