A blue gingham pinafore dress that Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in the classic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz” is being auctioned to raise money for the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
It had been gifted in the 1970s to the university’s then head-of drama, Rev. Gilbert Hartke, by actress Mercedes McCambridge, a contemporary of Garland’s, the university said.
The “lost” dress is particularly unique because it retains the white blouse worn under the pinafore — one of only two of Garland’s costumes to maintain this feature, the auction house said. It was worn by Garland during the scene when Dorothy faces the Wicked Witch of the West in the witch’s castle, said Bonhams.
“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.