The blue and white checkered gingham dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz is on display at Bonham, New York on Monday, April 25, 2022.
Katie Basquez | AP
Federal Judge in New York blocked scheduled auction on Tuesday The dress that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz It was expected to raise up to $ 1 million or more at the Catholic University.
Monday Injunction banning the sale of dresses The Bonhams Auction House in Los Angeles has been here for more than two weeks after a Wisconsin woman, Barbara Hartke, claimed to be the property of her deceased uncle, Rev. Gilbert Hartke, and appealed to suspend the sale. rice field. The proceedings proceed in Federal Court in Manhattan.
Judge Paul Gardef ordered the Catholic University of Washington and Bonhams not to sell the dress until the proceedings were resolved.
Barbara Hartke’s lawyer, Anthony Scord, said in an email to CNBC, “I’m happy with the decision to prevent the sale. The judge carefully reviewed the submissions of all parties and reached fair results. I feel like I did. “
In its statement, the Catholic University said, “The court’s decision to maintain the status quo was preliminary and did not benefit from Barbara Hartke’s claim to the dress. We look forward to presenting overwhelming evidence that contradicts Mr. Hartke’s allegations. We will file a claim with the court in the course of this proceeding. “
Hartke received an “Oz” dress from Academy Award-winning actress Mercedes McCambridge in 1973 when he was the principal of the drama school of the Catholic University he founded. It’s unclear how MacCambridge got the costume from the classic 1939 movie.
As the priest’s heir, Barbara Hartke is in a position to inherit part of the dress’s ownership if she wins a lawsuit to prove that she belongs to the property of her deceased uncle.
Last year, a dress found in a trash bag in a drama school room was missing for decades. The Catholic University then auctioned it and produced widespread media coverage last month.
The university claims that it is the legitimate owner of the dress, as Hartke, a Roman Catholic priest, took a vow of poverty and aimed to benefit the school.
The school also submitted an affidavit from Hartke’s grandfather. He recalled, “My granduncle, Father Gilbert Hartke, said I couldn’t have it because the dress was from the Catholic University.”
The man, his cousin Thomas Kaipers, said they and the descendants of the other priests supported the dress auction, understanding that it was given as a gift to the school.
In that statement, the Catholic University continues to work on a plan to use the proceeds from the sale of dresses to confer the faculty status of the Roman School of Music, Drama and Arts, which it believes is in line with Mercedes. . McKambridge’s original intentions and Father Gilbert Hartke’s desire to support and grow the university’s drama program. “
This dress is one of two dresses known to still exist, out of several dresses Garland created for the Wizard of Oz to wear.
Other dresses It was auctioned by Bonhams in 2015 for over $ 1.5 million.
