The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection
About
The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection
In 1900, when his book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published, writer L. Frank Baum was a magazine editor in Chicago who wrote children’s books on the side, largely to entertain his four sons. The magical tale, with its illustrations by W. W. Denslow, was an immediate hit. A stage version premiered in 1902, and Baum set to work on a series of sequels to the tale of Dorothy in the strange land of Oz. Now, 116 years later, the story is an essential part of American history and culture, and continues to inspire and entertain new generations.
Drawn from the largest collection of materials relating to the Wizard of Oz story and characters, the exhibition will feature 110 objects, from the finest known copy of the first edition/first state of Baum’s 1900 book, to original sketches, costumes and props from the beloved 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, to Oz spinoffs such as puppets, toys and posters from other productions like Wicked and The Wiz. Highlights from the MGM film include the hourglass the Wicked Witch of the West uses to show Dorothy how much time she has left, the Green Lollipop Guild Munchkin costume (the most complete from the film) and Dorothy’s screen-test dress. The Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection is being shown at the Figge through the generosity of the collectors, who intend to create a permanent National Oz Museum.
Exhibition organized by the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine
Boris Grinnson, two-panel poster for the French release of Le Magicien d’Oz (The Wizard of Oz), 1940, MGM, France, color lithograph, Courtesy of The Willard Carroll / Tom Wilhite Collection
RELATED EVENTS
Collector Talk: Willard Carroll
4 pm Sunday, June 12
Exhibition Open House: The Wonderful World of Oz
5 pm Thursday, June 16
Family Day
10 am Saturday, July 16
Film Talk: There's No Place Like Home: The Wizard of Oz as a Tale of Migration
7 pm Thursday, July 21
Film Talk: John Fricke
7 pm Thursday, August 11
Screening of The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2 pm and 7 pm Saturday, August 13
Adler Theatre in downtown Davenport
$3 per person or $10 family pack (max. 5 people)
Exhibition Tours
1:30 pm Saturday, June 25
1:30 pm Sunday, June 26 and July 17