The Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin has announced that they are actively raising funds and soliciting donations to restore five important and iconic gowns worn by Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in the classic, Gone with the Wind. The Ransom Center hopes to display the costumes in 2014 “as part of a major exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary” of the film.
Full details and the ability to donate online can be found at www.hrc.texas.edu:
Per the Ransom Center, the five dresses are from the collection of producer David O. Selznick.
The central mission of the Ransom Center is to advance the study of the arts and humanities. To this end, the Center:
- Acquires original cultural material for the purposes of scholarship, education, and delight
- Preserves and makes accessible these creations of our cultural heritage through the highest standards of cataloging, conservation, and collection management
- Supports research through public services, symposia, publications, and fellowships
- Provides education and enrichment for scholars, students, and the public at large through exhibitions, public performances, and lectures
Original Prop Blog published an article last year about Robert Deniro’s collection being available to researchers and the public at the Ransom Center.
Jason DeBord