Probably the world’s most famous shoes will soon be shimmering in their original red again – because a fundraising campaign has enabled the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to push ahead with the conservation of Dorothy’s magical Ruby Slippers from the film “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). 349,026 dollars. That’s the final amount that the National Museum of […]
Probably the world’s most famous shoes will soon be shimmering in their original red again – because a fundraising campaign has enabled the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to push ahead with the conservation of Dorothy’s magical Ruby Slippers from the film “The Wizard of Oz” (1939).
349,026 dollars. That’s the final total proudly announced by the National Museum of American History on November 16, 2016. Thanks to the generous donations of 6,451 supporters, the museum’s crowd-pleaser and the most infamous movie prop in history will soon be in conservation 5-star heaven. The fundraising campaign for the conservation of the magical red shoes of film character Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) started in October 2016 with a target of 300,000 dollars – and surpassed it within a month. It can be concluded that the shoes are closer to the public’s hearts than could have been assumed given the daily flow of people in front of the exhibit’s display case. Perhaps because the shoes are not only remnants of a cinema cult, but above all because their preservation also means the preservation of (childhood) memories.
It was 80 years ago that actress Judy Garland marched down the yellow brick road as little Dorothy to see the Wizard of Oz – in the shoes that are now being preserved. After such a long time, the condition of the structure was anything but good, especially as it was never designed to survive the 1939 film shoot. The bright red color has faded, the shoes look worn and washed out, the sequins are peeling off and the mesh is torn in some places. “The shoes are a complex artifact and consist of at least twelve different materials. From steel to cotton,” explains Richard Barden, the project’s lead conservator. The money will now be used to finance the material research for the subsequent conservation method, the material and tools as well as a climate-controlled “state-of-the-art” exhibition version. But why does such an internationally renowned museum with a strong institution like the Smithsonian behind it need the support of the culturally interested public? Federal funds form the basis for the museum’s core tasks, such as safeguarding and monitoring the collections, construction measures and staff funding. “Nevertheless, we are dependent on private donations in order to be able to continue to preserve and exhibit valuable exhibits such as the Ruby Slippers,” says the museum’s statement.
Even more props
In 2018, the museum would like to display the shoes in the “On with the Show” exhibition. In the best-case scenario, together with the restored costume of the Scarecrow worn by actor Ray Bolger at the time. Following the great success of the fundraising campaign, the museum’s conservation officers have already launched the next appeal for donations. The organizers want to raise 85,000 dollars to exhibit another prop from the classic film alongside the Ruby Slippers. “I’ll miss you most of all,” Dorothy says to the Scarecrow at the end of the story before leaving Oz. If the museum’s second campaign is as successful as the previous one, there will be no reason to miss the Scarecrow.
