Boots worn by Ray Bolger in the role of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz: Museum Object and Cultural History
Boots worn by Ray Bolger in the role of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz: date made: 1939. user: Bolger, Ray. designer: Adrian.
The object in the museum catalogue
Ray Bolger wore this patchwork outfit as the Scarecrow, one of the trio of friends who accompany Dorothy to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz.
Designed by Adrian, MGM's premier costume artist, the straw-stuffed clothing fit loosely enough so that Bolger could perform his comedic dance number, "If I Only Had a Brain." A sponge-rubber mask, resembling burlap, completed the Scarecrow's costume. Under the hot lights on the set, the mask was stifling, and it frequently had to be replaced.
Materials, dates and provenance
- date made: 1939
- user: Bolger, Ray
- designer: Adrian
- Object Name: boots, pair of
- Physical Description: straw (overall material)
- Physical Description: leather (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 50.165 cm x 17.78 cm; 19 3/4 in x 7 in
- Subject: Wizard of Oz
- Subject: Movie
- Subject: Music
- ID Number: 1987.0608.05
- accession number: 1987.0608
- catalog number: 1987.0608.05
- Credit Line: Gift of Gwendolyn R. Bolger
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
Sources
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