Halloween Eye-Candy
Halloween Eye-Candy
A goal for The Halloween Retrospect's antique/vintage Halloween collectibles art survey Halloween Artifacts V1:Lighting is a focus on imagery (maintaining a heavy-lean on data from primary sources). The result is a full-color 8-1/2" x 11" book that displays 100+ pages of large-format photos of lanterns, shades and glow-in-dark diecut decor. The end result presents to collectors unusual views and/or previously unseen objects (with enough room in the layout to include vendor timelines and catalog samples). Below is a page sample that hopefully gives readers an idea of book contents cover to cover (and see THR's bookstore on Etsy to read reviews like the flattering one included below).
Cover and page samples of Halloween Artifacts, V1: Lighting
Book review of Halloween Artifacts, V1: Lighting
Given that THR has now published a handful of reference guides, what is this particular reference all about? Halloween Artifacts Volume 1: Lighting looks across an international market (1900-1970) that created for us here in the U.S. a dizzying array of jack o’lanterns, shades, and luminescent decor! Sold in a range of materials: metal, glass, plastic, paper, and transparency, the represented companies include American Novelty Co., Beistle, Dennison, Gibson Art Co., Dolly Toy Co., Empire Plastics Corp., Hallmark, Miller Electric Co., and Toledo Metal Sign Co, (to list but a few seen among others of more mysterious histories).
Speaking of mysterious - some of the earliest designs are intriguing examples of how much we still don't know about some of the original products that hit the marketplace in the 1910's. One lantern (circa 1917-1918 as per Butler Brothers merchandise catalogs in the library) arrived at THR's archive collection later than the book - and this unusual folding postern style lantern recently appeared on THR's IG account:
Given the focus here on such Halloween eye-candy, this seems the perfect time to mention some banner updates happening over at The Halloween Retrospect as well as Craw-Bogle Trader. Again, the goal is to display as much colorful antique and/or vintage Halloween imagery as possible, replacing the rather dry banners previously created (by THR) for the website. Click the images below to see the larger images - and visit the site pages mentioned in their captions - since every page now has its own banner.
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Once again, I hope as author, editor, collector, archivist, librarian, artist, designer, publisher, and seller of The Halloween Retrospect that you too enjoy the Halloween visuals. To learn more about THR see this About page, and keep an eye on the THR website, particularly the Publications page.
Front cover 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.
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