Passing Shadows Halloween
July 26th, 2011 by John Wolfe
I was talking with my mom about antique postcards the other day, and she remembered having this Halloween piece in her collection (click the image for a full view). I love all the great superstitious elements: the horseshoe pointed up to keep the luck from running out, the clock striking midnight, the spinning wheel, the black cat bristled up — and all joining together just as the witch’s silhouette passes by the window. 
The old artists did a fantastic job in bringing together so many classic elements in their depictions of Halloween at the turn of the century. I could look at vintage and antique Halloween stuff like this all day.
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July 27th, 2011 at 12:51 am
Oh, that makes me sooooo sentimental! I wish someone would really get back into the look of the 50s/60s Halloween stuff including the old masks and costumes. I’d love to collect just the old 50s/60s halloween costumes and masks and cover a wall with them! They were chilling in a way that the complicated masks these days aren’t.
July 27th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
I love these old postcards too. Also, Halloween was considered a romantic time back then, and young people would play games to “see” their future wives, and husbands, that sort of thing. This card has that romantic overtone. It could be a dad, mom, and their child, but I think the guy is courting the gal (they’re sitting close together as though it’s a visit, and the little child is probably her littte sister who the old folks sent in to play near them as chaperone, so there’d be no kissing and snuggling! The girls are upset by the passing shadows. Our handsome young man will protect them!
John, are you growing any pumpkins and corn this year? I am trying pumpkins for the first time. I feel my little pumpkin patch is very sincere.
July 27th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
autumnforest,
I’m right there with you on that, autumn! Even the stuff from the ’70s gets me sentimental… probably why I love finding great retro and vintage Halloween commercials on YT. Some of the old Woolworth and Woolco Halloween commercials are among my favorites over on the Y Tube.
That would be an amazing collection for your apartment!
Viktoria Rice,
Great to hear from you! I should have had you write the blog entry for this postcard — you did a much better job than me.
Seriously, I love your take on what might be unfolding in the scene: “The girls are upset by the passing shadows. Our Handsome young man will protect them!” — That’s so great!!
The cool thing about this card, (you can’t see it in the photo) everything is sort of three-dimensional. All the characters are slightly raised off the background of the card.
I decided not to plant pumpkins or corn this year, Viktoria. I really enjoyed the experience last year, all except for the bugs. I’m way too soft-hearted to have to kill anything and I had to get rid of tons of squash bugs last year. I probably could have found some natural repellant type plants to add near the garden, but decided not to do any growing this time. I’d like to do it again next year.
Congratulations on your pumpkins!
July 28th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
John,
I love these old post cards. It seems like they had so much fum back in the day. Everyone in the family would get into the Halloween spirit. But I was wondering , maybe you or someone else can answer this question for me. What is the reason for the spelling “Hallowe`en”? I have seen this on alot of the older cards and have never found a answer to it. It probably is something simple and I`m just not getting it. lol
But back to the post cards, My favorite is the post card with the silhouette of the sanitarium and the words “Wishing You Were Here.” Printed underneith.
July 28th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
I love this image! I’m just starting to hit the same point I do every year- I see back to school stuff everywhere in stores and I’m ready for the fall and then Halloween stuff to start trickling in! I’m starting to get a real hunger for Halloween issues of decorating magazines and other images I can find and this post card and the others you’ve posted fits the bill perfectly!! Bring on fall!!! Our props and haunt may not be anywhere near ready but I’m more than ready for Halloween!!!
July 28th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
ssflipo13,
I’m not really sure if the spelling of Halloween had any significance when it was spelled Hallowe’en, or if it was just a variation on the spelling using an older more proper looking style. Maybe someone else reading this entry has the answer.
I don’t think I ever saw the one with the sanitarium. That’s a creepy one, huh?
Camile,
Right on! I totally agree! It’s all about the feeling the “countdown” creates. Though my haunt is going to be very small, no overseer or anything like that, I still plan to bring in the details of corn, fog, and pumpkins, along with two groundbreakers making return appearances. It will be very simple this year, but that should also make it easy to run the webcam for sure. But point being, it’s all about the feeling — big haunt, small haunt, or even no haunt, that Halloween vibe is what matters. I was going through the shed today and saw the Angel of Death still hanging where I left him last November 1st and I started getting that great Halloween feeling… like goosebumps, butterflies and pumpkin spice mixed together.
July 29th, 2011 at 11:19 am
Okay, here’s what going on with the spelling “Hallowe’en.”
November 1st is All Saints Day in the Catholic church calendar. So October 31st is All Hallow’s Eve (like Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas). All Hallows means “all the holy ones” (the saints of the Catholic church). All Hallows is reduced to Hallow (holy) and Even (eve, the day before). The “v” in the word even is missing and the apostrophe replaces it, as the words ” is not” become “isn’t”, with the apostrophe replacing the “o.”
It’s just a condensed, quicker way of saying All Hallow”s Eve. Over the many years we’ve dropped the apostrophe, because it’s easier that way. Both ways of spelling are correct, Hallowe’en is just old fashioned.
July 30th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Viktoria Rice,
Very nice! Thanks for that awesomely detailed explanation. I’m always interested in Halloween’s history or should I say “Hallowe’en’s” history (now that really looks funky).