The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Story

Dorothy lives in grey Kansas, with her aunt and uncle. Only her little dog Toto keeps her cheerful. However, when a cyclone hits their home, Dorothy finds herself (and the house) swept away to the magical, colourful land of Oz.

Hailed as a witch on her arrival, Dorothy meets a host of vivid characters on her journey to see the Great Wizard Oz and ask him to send her back to Kansas – because after all, there’s no place like home.

Why we chose it

The Wizard of Oz is full of strong, vibrant characters – particularly the women. Malorie Blackman chose to be photographed as the Wicked Witch of the West for our 2014 26 Characters exhibition. She said that it is the women in the story who hold the power – whether they are using it for good or evil and whether they know it or not.

Where it came from

L. Frank Baum believed in the value of fantasy for children and wanted to create stories with the wonder but without the violence of traditional tales. He had written stories for children before, but The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was his first success, and allowed him to write many more.

The first edition of the book featured illustrations by the cartoonist W. W. Denslow. Denslow and Baum worked very closely together on the book, and Denslow’s illustrations shaped later adaptations – such as the Tin Woodman’s funnel hat!

Where it went next

In 1902, Baum co-produced The Wizard of Oz, a musical version of the book, which was a hit with audiences. Since then, the novel has been adapted many times for stage, film and television, including the iconic 1939 film starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. This film was the first to show Wicked Witch of the East’s shoes as ‘ruby slippers’, so that the filmmakers could show off the vibrant Technicolor colours on-screen – in the book, the shoes are silver.

Associated stories

L. Frank Baum wrote 19 other works set in the land of Oz: some novels and some short stories. He also wrote many other things –124 novels and short stories, and over 200 poems. Some of these were set in the same universe as the land of Oz.

In the museum

Find the photograph of Malorie Blackman dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West.