Local collector celebrates Judy Garland

Jun. 2—LENOIR

A local collector in southern Caldwell County honors the actress and singer Judy Garland with one of the largest collections of her memorabilia in the country.

Caldwell County native Charles Triplett is a lifelong admirer of Garland who has collected "everything from her birth certificate to her death certificate and everything in between."

"I started cutting photos out of magazines and newspapers after seeing 'The Wizard of Oz' on TV when I was 5," he said. "I was just fascinated by Judy Garland, and still am to this day. As I got older, I started buying her records and seeing her other films and doing research on her life and career. In later years, I started buying higher ticket items like movie and stage costumes."

Triplett's collection features items such as thousands of photos throughout Garland's career and personal life, including some original photos that were never published, magazines, movie posters, original gowns, shoes, and scarves, albums, autographs from Garland and the cast of "The Wizard of Oz," her hand-written notes to her husbands and children, CDs, DVDs, and more. His own personal museum totals over 40,000 items.

The entire collection is heavily protected. The building that houses the collection is climate-controlled and features two alarm systems. The costumes are stored in acid-free textile boxes, the same kind used by the Smithsonian Institution. Triplett also mentioned that he never comes to the building when it rains for fear of moisture getting in and ruining the collection.

Triplett said he has been buying and assembling this memorabilia for almost 50 years.

"A lot of it came from her estate sale in the '70s," he said, "and I have bought various things from family members, auction houses, and things like that ... I've also bought a lot of stuff on eBay."

However, even with this impressively massive collection, Triplett said that his work is not, and probably never will be, finished.

"At this point, I'm more interested in rarer items because I have almost everything that was released on her," Triplett said. "There's something I'm looking for, but I don't know if I'll ever get it. It was a pantsuit she wore; it's called the Valley of the Dolls pantsuit."

He currently owns the shoes and scarf that go along with the pantsuit.

Triplett's dream has always been to have a lasting tribute to the legendary performer.

"I think it is because of her great talent that transcends the years and decades," he said. "I always felt she was the greatest all-around entertainer that ever came out of that legendary golden era of show business. I still find her films and music so enjoyable, and she has added so much to my life and has given me so much happiness."

Although Garland lived to be only 47, her legacy still carries on in the countless number of fans, like Triplett, who love and admire her even 53 years after her death.

"It is all part of history, and so few things are saved like this," said Triplett. "People tell me all the time they can't believe what I have collected, but it sure has been a true labor of love ... I'm proud of what I've done."

Garland was born June 10, 1922 and died June 22, 1969. Though critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in "The Wizard of Oz." She attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Renowned for her versatility, she received an Academy Juvenile Award, a Golden Globe award, and a Special Tony Award. Garland was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, which she won for her 1961 live recording titled "Judy at Carnegie Hall."

Garland began performing in vaudeville as a child with her two older sisters in a vaudeville group "The Gumm Sisters" and was later signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as a teenager. She appeared in more than two dozen films for MGM.

Garland was a frequent on-screen partner of both Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly, and she regularly collaborated with director and second husband, Vincente Minnelli. Other starring roles during this period included "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), "The Harvey Girls" (1946), "Easter Parade" (1948), and "Summer Stock" (1950).

Two of Garland's most critically-acclaimed roles came later in her career: she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "A Star Is Born" (1954) and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961). She also made record-breaking concert appearances, released eight studio albums, and hosted her own Emmy-nominated television series, "The Judy Garland Show" (1963-1964).

At age 39, Garland became the youngest and first female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her as the eighth-greatest female screen legend of classic Hollywood cinema.

"She died at 47, but if you look at what she did in 47 years, she lived more than most of us," Triplett said. "She also raised three children who all say what a wonderful mother she was. She loved her children and her audiences and is a talent I don't think this world will see again."

In addition to Garland memorabilia, Triplett has acquired numerous items related to Liza Minnelli, Garland's daughter and an esteemed singer, actress, and dancer in her own right.

"I've met Liza many times," said Triplett. "She was very nice to me. [Judy's] children are all aware of my collection."

On Friday, June 10, Triplett will celebrate what would have been Garland's 100th birthday by watching a marathon of her old movies.

"They're showing her movies all day long on Turner Classic Movies," he said. "I'm taking the day off, and I plan to hang out here and watch her movies and celebrate her life and her talent."

This collection is not open to the public. If individuals are interested in viewing the collection, email charleswtriplett@cs.com to schedule an appointment. More information is available at www.judygarlandcostumes.com.