A dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz which was feared missing has finally turned up 40 years later – in a bin bag.

The blue gingham dress Judy wears to play character Dorothy Gale in the 1939 movie – said to be one of the greatest films of all time - was found by chance last month.

It was discovered by a staff member at a Washington DC university who was clearing out his office as the building was undergoing renovation work.

Lecturer Matt Ripa said he saw a “trashbag” and was curious what was inside.

“I opened the trashbag and inside was a shoe box – and inside the shoe box was the dress. I couldn’t believe it!”

Judy Garland played Dorothy Gale in the 1939 movie, thought to be one of the greatest films ever made

The dress was gifted to Catholic University and the former head of drama, Father Gilbert Hartke, in 1972.

But just a year after its arrival at the Washington DC campus it mysteriously went missing.

For many years, it was rumoured the dress was still located in Hartke, the building named after the priest, but no one knew exactly where.

Then in June this year, a staff member set out to find the piece of cinematic history – and found it in an unlikely spot.

Judy Garland wore at least five versions of the famous blue gingham dress in the film

Drama lecturer Matt Ripa said he looked in the archives and storage closets but there was no sign of the famous dress.

“I assumed it was a tall tale, of which many exist for Father Hartke,” he explained.

But Father Hartke turned out to be telling the truth with this story after all, as Matt later discovered.

Another version of the dress was shown during a V&A exhibition in London in 2012

Describing how he came to find the famous frock, he said: “Our building is in the process of renovations and upgrades, so I was clearing out my office to prepare.

“I noticed on top of the faculty mailboxes a trashbag and asked my co-worker to hand it to me.

“On the trashbag was a note for our former chair stating that he had found ‘this’ in his office and that he must have moved in when he moved out of the chair’s office.

“I was curious what was inside and opened the trashbag. Needless to say, I have found many interesting things in the Hartke during my time at CUA, but I think this one takes the cake.”

The latest find will be properly preserved in a temperature and humidity controlled environment

Five other versions of the costume, in addition to the recent discovery at catholic University, have been found and verified as likely authentic.

The dress will now be properly preserved in the university’s special collections department.

A statement from the university said: “It can now be preserved in proper storage in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment so that hopefully, for many more years, it can be a source of ‘hope, strength, and courage’ for Catholic University students.”

A single pair of Dorothy's famous ruby slippers are said to be worth over £1 million

The dress isn’t the only piece of Dorothy’s famous costume to have gone missing over the years.

In 2005 a thief stole a pair of ruby slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in the US, the iconic actress’ birthplace.

They were recovered in Minneapolis in 2017 after the FBI put its Art Crime team on the case.

The slippers are often said to be among the most valued props in movie history and the missing pair were insured for over £1 million. It is thought they are worth even more than that now.

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