[Slippers] Dorothy, played by Judy Garland in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, wore these magical red slippers. The film was one of the first to use Technicolor. It has remained popular for generations, first through the movies and then through television, perhaps because of its central message affirming self-sufficiency.

MGM personnel made several pairs of slippers for Garland to use during the filming--a common practice with important costumes and props. Garland wore this pair for dance scenes. The felt on the soles muffled her footsteps on the yellow brick road.

Courtesy of the National Museum of American History, gift of an anonymous donor, 1979.

Ruby Slippers, worn by Judy Garland (1922-69) in The Wizard of Oz

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