Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting
Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting:
Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting is the latest book to be released for sale from THR's bookstore. With a different approach from the more in-depth research digests that preceded, this book features vintage Halloween collectibles displayed in vibrant full-color on 8-1/2" x 11" pages - and will offer collectors some unusual views and/or previously unseen objects across 114 pages. That said, the driving force behind this book, as with all from THR, continues to rely on primary sources (of the original vintage marketplace) via newspapers, 550+ vendor catalogs, etc).. Those sources are used together with photography to provide catalog clippings and to develop individual timelines for past appearances of the object.
Below is the cover shown with some sample pages...
Cover and page samples of Halloween Artifacts, V1: Lighting
Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting is expected to have a sales release date of September 21, 2024 from the THR bookstore on Etsy.
More to the point Volume 1: Lighting of this new series focuses on the international market history (1900-1970) of jack o’lanterns, shades, and even prints in luminescent inks - in an array of interesting materials: metal, glass, plastic, paper, and transparent films. Across the main 100 page gallery-area of the book, readers will find good-sized portrayals of these objects, much beyond the postage-stamp scale seen elsewhere. And these include examples of works by American Novelty Co., Beistle, Dennison, Gibson Art Co., Dolly Toy Co., Hallmark, Empire Plastics Corp., Miller Electric Co., and Toledo Metal Sign Co, (to list but a few seen among many of more mysterious histories).
Front cover Halloween Artifacts, V1: Lighting
Page samples of Halloween Artifacts, V1: Lighting
Table of Contents:
Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting
Available as an 8-1/2″×11″ full-color 114-page book of big images together with synchronous data from novelty merchandise catalogs held in The Halloween Retrospect archive library.
Foreword by Charles Beck (pg. 4) offers an intro to the experience of meaningful vintage Halloween collecting and offers a look at Beck’s publications focused on antique and vintage photography featuring Halloween traditions. Contains photograph from Charles Beck’s “Halloween Haunts.”
Harvesting an Ember - Glimmers of the Past in Lanterns, Shades, & Luminescent Inks (pg. 5) is the author’s introduction that builds for a reader a sense of what it is like finding the treasures of old Halloween, and beginning to comprehend their historical presence in a vintage marketplace. Contains 2 photographs from the author.
Introduction - Revisiting a Foreword from Research Series THR, Vol. 1 (pg. 6) returns to the original publication by THR from 2023 to give a practical background of the author’s journey into research that includes the following segments: Positions for Context, Statement of Intent, Regarding Source, THR’s Archive Library. Contains 4 photographs from the THR archive library..
Halloween Artifacts: Lighting - THR’s Archive Collection Synchronized with Library Data (pg. 10 )returns to the original publication by THR from 2023 to give a practical background of the author’s journey into research that includes the following segments: Positions for Context, Statement of Intent, Regarding Source, THR’s Archive Library.
Contains 4 photographs from the THR archive library..
Sources & Additional Reading - A Quick List of Selected Publications (pg. 113) reviews a small list of sources used throughout the book, and includes a list of additional research from THR.
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As always, I hope as author, editor, collector, archivist, librarian, artist, designer, publisher, and seller of The Halloween Retrospect that you too enjoy the type of publication I wanted to see and share. To learn more about The Halloween Retrospect see this About page, and keep an eye on the THR website, particularly the Publications page.