Crystal ball from “Wizard of Oz” to benefit NJ Teen Arts Council

NEWTON — The giant crystal ball used by the Wicked Witch of the West was last seen in 1939 and had been thought lost by Wizard of Oz experts. Amazingly, it was recently discovered in a junkyard, found amongst the discarded remains of a defunct Hollywood prop house. Purchased with the hope of one day turning it into an enormous plasma ball, the bulky, hand-blown item sat unidentified for several years until the new owner, an amateur inventor, stumbled across photos of the item pictured in the Kenneth Strickfaden biography “Dr. Frankenstein’s Electrician.” Further research revealed that the item had actually belonged to the special effects genius himself, and had been used by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Boris Karloff in “The Mask of Fu Manchu” and Bela Lugosi in “Chandu the Magician.” But, it wasn’t until after the owner placed the item up for auction that he learned of its possible appearance in another Hollywood classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” Upon receiving confirmation from noted Wizard of Oz experts that his junkyard find was in fact the long lost Hollywood icon used by the Wicked Witch of the West, the owner proudly informed his mother she could finally retire. Besides helping his family, the owner wishes to donate a portion of the proceeds to the New Jersey State Fireman’s Home in Boonton. He also plans to make a matching donation to the New Jersey Teen Arts Program, with the hope that they’ll create a new category for budding inventors. This anonymous owner and benefactor said he is still moved by the memory of being a student who was encouraged and inspired by the annual Sussex County Teen Arts Festival held on the campus of Sussex County Community College and followed by the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival.