Do You Recognize This Costume?
Calling all classic Hollywood fans! Do you recognize this MGM costume?
Jan 15, 2024
During ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s July 2023 visit to Anchorage, Alaska, a guest named Pamela brought in two costumes that transported our crew back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Pamela purchased the pieces in 1970 when MGM was selling off their costumes and property during an 18-day-long event, with Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz making headlines when they sold for nearly $16,000. After most of MGM’s iconic items were auctioned off, the remaining low-quality props were sold in a warehouse. Pamela, who was looking for pieces that would fit her, said she purchased three items for a total of $25, including a dress worn by Angela Lansbury in the 1946 film Till the Clouds Roll By and a red jacket and skirt, a costume which she wore to the ROADSHOW event and is seen wearing on camera.
The costume Pamela wears on screen, however, is tagless, and therefore, the actor who wore it and the film it appeared in remain a mystery.
While collectibles appraiser Laura Woolley gave the Lansbury dress an auction estimate of $4,100 to $6,200, she could only put a modest value of $100 or $200 on Pamela’s unidentified piece without further provenance.
That’s why ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is asking for your help — have you seen this costume before?
Comment below!
