Saving the Ruby Slippers Will Cost America $300K

The Smithsonian needs your help preserving a piece of American film history. Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz are in need of some serious TLC, Entertainment Weekly reports, and the museum explains its federal funding doesn't extend to "non-core" projects like this one. To that end, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has launched a Kickstarter campaign; it's seeking $300,000 to restore the slippers to their original state.

A commenter on the EW article recalls the prop quite visibly needing some work, and the Kickstarter page explains the color has faded, the sequins have degraded, and threads have come loose since the film was released in 1939; the slippers entered the museum's collection via an anonymous gift 40 years later. As of this posting, nearly $40,000 has been pledged, with 29 days to go. Donations will go toward restoration work and a new climate-controlled display case. (More The Wizard of Oz stories.)