The Long and Winding Yellow Brick Road: More Than a Century of Oz
We’re going to take a nostalgic stroll down the yellow brick road to visit L. Frank Baum’s wonderful world of Oz. The group will discuss the 70th Anniversary of MGM’s lavish family classic, the 1939 film adaptation of Baum’s The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. We’ll also explore the legacy of the film, the books from which it came, the many other adaptations of Oz in other media, and the merchandise that it inspired. We’re not in Kansas anymore, and there’s no place like GEM!

What we couldn’t advertise specifically as it was a late but very welcome addition was the presence of Oz collector Fred Trust of www.RareOzBooks.com. Fred has graciously loaned a variety of Oz artifacts to the museum – many of which will still be added to the Special Edition room following our soft opening of the exhibit this past weekend – including pristine first edition copies of the first 40 Oz books! Fred was on hand last night to explain in detail the nature of Oz book collecting, how to tell the difference between various states of the earliest edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the venerable first book), and what the state of the Oz collecting market is today. Along the way, attendees also discussed the legacy of Oz, the lasting impact of the 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland, and the possibility of new generations of children rediscovering Oz. To coin a cliché, a good time was had by all.

ITEM #2: Here are the “Coffee with the Curator” topics for the rest of the summer:

Cinematic Wizardry: A Look at the Harry Potter Films
Wednesday, July 15, 6-7:30pm

Real American Heroes: The Changing Faces of G.I. Joe
Wednesday, August 19, 6-7:30pm

Soon I’ll be revealing topics for the fall series, but I’ll just briefly mention that in October, prepare for a look at some horror classics in keeping with the Halloween mood. More later!

ITEM #3: Our current Special Edition exhibit is:

Yellow Bricks and Emerald Cities
Through December 2009
Take a nostalgic stroll down the yellow brick road to visit L. Frank Baum’s wonderful world of Oz. Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of MGM’s lavish family classic, the 1939 film adaptation of Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland. Explore the legacy of the film, the books from which it came, the many other adaptations of Oz in other media, and the merchandise that it inspired. This summer, there’s no place like GEM!

(If this looks like the same paragraph from the “Coffee with the Curator” description above, it’s no accident!)

And in 2010: HOME PLATE…

Don’t forget to visit Geppi’s Entertainment Museum online or in person at 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. You can also call for more information at (410) 625-7060.