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Leonardo DiCaprio is a firm believer in investing in the arts and preserving the history of important films. He and a group of donors teamed together to help the Academy Foundation buy the famous ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in the iconic movie The Wizard of Oz. The shoes will be placed in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The slippers are an important acquisition for the Academy and the chair of the group, Bob Iger, said, “The ruby slippers occupy an extraordinary place in the hearts of movie audiences the world over. This is a transformative acquisition for our collection.” 

The shoes have most recently been on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington. Although there are actually four pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland during the making of the movie, these are considered the most important and were the shoes that were used in the close-ups for the film. Rhys Thomas, who wrote the book The Ruby Slippers of Oz, called the shoes “the Holy Grail of all Hollywood memorabilia”. Enough said.

Paige Latham

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