Wicked Witch of the West’s Hat

Actress Margaret Hamilton (1902-1985) wore this infamous black hat as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. With her signature scowl, green skin, and ominous cackle, Hamilton created an enduring image of the modern witch. Adrian Adolph Greenberg (1903-1959), widely known as just Adrian, created the costumes for the film, including this villainous black hat and Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

We waited to view this hat, while a young woman took a selfie. She posed so that it looked like she was wearing the hat. She was also trying to look scary serious. Carl commented that “Margaret Hamilton never smiled.” This brought a smile to her face. The Wicked Witch wouldn’t have survived five minutes in Seattle today, because with all of the rain she would soon be singing her old song, “I’m melting, I’m melting, all my beautiful wickedness.”