The LA Times reported this morning that some of the costumes worn by Vivien Leigh in the film Gone With the Wind, arguably amongst the most iconic creations in film history, have been fading away at a research library in Austin, Texas. The Harry Ransom Center has, however, just launched a public initiative to raise the $30,000 needed to properly restore and preserve Scarlett’s gowns, which are, at present, too fragile for public exhibition.
From the website: The Center would like to display the costumes in 2014 as part of a major exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of Gone With The Wind. The Center also wants to be able to loan the dresses to other museums around the world.
We are currently raising funds to restore the dresses, to purchase protective housing suitable for shipping them to other institutions, and to purchase custom-fitted mannequins that will allow them to be properly displayed.”
They include Scarlett’s famous “curtain dress,” her dangerously sexy birthday frock, her green dressing gown, wedding gown (hubby no. 1) and blue peignoir.
The Kitty Packard Pictorial 
I can’t wait. I hope these costumes are properly preserved. I am TOTALLY going to the exhibition. 🙂