Wicked Witch of the West’s iconic hat from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to hit auction block

The iconic hat worn by Margaret Hamilton in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz is going up for auction – just in time for the release of the Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, which hits theatres next week.

Offered by Heritage Auctions - which last year sold a pair of ruby slippers from the film fora record-shattering $32.5 million (€30.5 million) - the black wool hat measures 14 inches high with a 19.5-inch diameter brim. It also retains the elastic chin strap tied around Hamilton’s jaw to keep it secure during the flying broomstick scenes.

“When Dorothy Gale becomes Dorothy of Oz, it’s when she puts on the ruby slippers,” says Joe Maddalena, executive VP of Heritage Auctions. “When the Wicked Witch becomes the Wicked Witch, she puts on the hat. So it’s this transformational moment of the birth of the witch. I think the importance of the hat is just incredible. It’s on par with the slippers.”

Heritage will hold the auction on 9 and 10 December, both online and at its Dallas headquarters.

Also hitting the auction block is an organza blouse worn on screen by Garland, as well as a “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” book signed by Garland and including Toto’s actual paw prints. The book was gifted to the daughter of Garland’s on-set tutor at the time.

Two different versions of Dorothy’s ruby slippers will be also auctioned. One, a right-foot shoe worn by Garland during rehearsals, is adorned with crimson-burgundy glass bugle beads. The other is a replica of the ruby slippers made by Western Costume Company for the film’s 50th anniversary. These shoes “are as close as you’re ever going to get to owning a pair of ruby slippers that weren’t screen-used,” according to Maddalena.

Wicked: For Good, released one year after the first chapter, is the conclusion of the origin story of the witches of Oz. It features Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

The first film’s soundtrack was recently nominated for four Grammys, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the song 'Defying Gravity'.

In our review of Wicked, we wrote that the first chapter is “perfectly watchable but ultimately a bloated reminder that Hollywood cares more about portmanteau-named marketing coups than it does casting proper magic spells. That isn’t to say that Wicked isn’t a good time at the talkies. It is – with reservations, as it enchants just as much as it exhausts.” Read the full review here.

Wicked: For Good hits theatres worldwide on 19, 20 and 21 November, territory depending. The Wizard of Oz auction takes place on 9 and 10 December.