Why the world's most famous ruby slippers are actually made of red sequins
In short: Dorothy's ruby slippers from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz are among the most valuable film props in history. Yet, the thieves who stole them in 2005 were motivated by a misconception: they believed the shoes were encrusted with genuine rubies, rather than simple red sequins and paint.
The slippers, worn by Judy Garland, have become an enduring symbol of American cinema. While multiple pairs were used during the production of the 1939 film, only four sets are known to exist today. These are held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a private collector, and the pair owned by Michael Shaw.
Shaw, a collector of memorabilia, purchased his pair from a film costumer in 1970. Known as the traveling pair, they were frequently loaned to museums until 2005, when Terry Martin broke into the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and stole them. Martin, who acted under the mistaken belief that the shoes contained real gemstones, left behind only a single red sequin during the heist. The slippers were valued at approximately $1 million at the time of the theft.
Following a tip, the FBI recovered the shoes in 2018, leading to the arrest of Martin and his accomplice, Jerry Hal Saliterman. Martin, who was 76 at the time of his sentencing, received one year of supervised release. The slippers were officially returned to Shaw in 2024. Now, the shoes are set to be sold at auction, with a valuation reaching $3.5 million as of 2023. The Judy Garland Museum and Minnesota lawmakers are currently exploring ways to acquire the slippers for permanent public display, aiming to turn the site of the crime into a place of homecoming.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Story of Dorothys Ruby Slippers
- Also: Two Decades After They Were Stolen, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers Returned to the Scene of the Crime. Will They Stay There?
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/ideas-the-story-of-dorothys-ruby-slippers.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
