The violin that was used to play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz is set to sell for $20 million in an online auction
Before the auction, the 308-year-old violin will travel the globe on a world tour, visiting London, Beijing, Berlin, Shanghai, New York, and Hong Kong. The starting bid at the online auction will be set at $8 million, but with only 600 Stradivarius violins left in the world, the price will quickly skyrocket.
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“It ticks all the boxes — it’s a perfect and rare instrument. It’s something that has been played in things we know and love like The Wizard of Oz,” said Jason Price, the founder of Tarisio, which specializes in selling violins.
Crafted by Antonio Stradivarius, the violin remains one of the last playable creations of the great 17th century violin-maker.
Previously owned by arguably the greatest violinist of the 20th century, Toscha Seidel, the violin was featured across the world in orchestras and solo performances. Seidel played the instrument for the scores of Intermezzo, Melody for Three, and The Wizard of Oz. Seidel was also the music tutor for Albert Einstein.
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The record price for a violin sold at an auction is over $12 million. The “Lady Blunt,” as the violin is called, is a Stradivarius previously owned by Lord Byron.
Those who may seek to purchase the historic instrument include the United Kingdom’s Stradivari Trust, which was established in 1985 by Cambridge’s Nigel Brown, along with foundations in Norway, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.
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Props and costumes from the 1939 classic movie have appeared in recent auctions, too. In May, the blue and white dress worn by Judy Garland was set to be auctioned off for more than $1 million. However, the auction of the dress was put on hold by a U.S. district judge in light of a lawsuit from Barbara Ann Hartke, niece of Gilbert Hartke.
