Extremely rare glossy 8 x 10 photo of Garland in character as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, wearing her trademark white blouse with gingham dress as she rests her chin on her hand, signed and inscribed in ink, “For Raymond, Judy Garland.” The copyright notice “©1939 Loew’s Inc.” appears at the bottom left corner of the image, while the reverse bears a printed publicity caption: “JUDY GARLAND ... as she appears as the story-book heroine, Dorothy, in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s all-Technicolor production, ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ The cast includes Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton. The film, produced by Mervyn LeRoy, was directed by Victor Fleming.” Above is a handwritten caption: “This picture is the property of Ray Fisher.” Fisher was a well-known celebrity photographer and Miami photojournalist from the late 1940s to the 1980s whose pictorial subjects ranged from Sammy Davis, Jr. and Robert Plant to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. In very good, attractive condition, with a few small creases (mainly confined to background; tiny crease to chin), scattered faint rubs and surface marks (visible mainly from an angle), erased writing impression to top margin, small tack holes to each border corner, subtle silvering to dark portions, mild soiling, and slightly irregular ink adhesion. Given the extreme scarcity of the image, the above points are enumerated in detail only for the sake of strictest accuracy, as the overall visual impact is pleasing indeed, and proper matting and framing will enhance the appearance yet further. While vintage signed cast images represent some of the most desirable prizes among connoisseurs of Hollywood, examples of Garland as Dorothy represent one of the most notorious “stoppers” in the entire field of vintage Hollywood collecting. Indeed, the rarity of signed photos of Garland as Dorothy—approaching singularity—easily exceeds that of such coveted signers as Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe. As no other authentic specimen has appeared at auction for nearly two decades, the photo we now offer likely represents the final opportunity to obtain such a prize for a generation to come. Truly a treasure for the most advanced collector! Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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