Whether you celebrate All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain or just plain ol’ Halloween, October 31 has been commemorated, one way or another, since the days of the druids. While Halloween’s origin is still up for debate, one thing’s for sure: the ghoulish holiday has been around for hundreds of years and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Here, below is a selection of some of vintage Halloween decor photos from the mid-20th century, featuring charming black cats, glamorous witches, old-school jack-o’-lanterns.
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| Halloween staples, ca. 1930s. |
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| Paper-mache pumpkin, ca. 1930s. |
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| Kids bobbing in 1935. |
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| Rita Hayworth at a Halloween party in 1935. |
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| Movable skeleton, 1935 |
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| Flying skeletons, 1935 |
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| This giant jack-o’-lantern was set up at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. |
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| Classic Halloween decorations, ca. 1940s |
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| Puppies and Halloween go together like trick-or-treating and candy! This cute pup joined in the fun by wearing a party hat and carrying a sweet pumpkin bucket for treats, 1945. |
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| Barbara Bates poses with a traditional scarecrow outfitted with a flannel shirt, corn pipe and straw hat, 1948. |
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| Dusty Anderson takes flight aboard a feather broomstick and ends up with her head in the clouds, 1955. |
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| Ann Miller delightfully poses with a stack of grinning pumpkins and a collection of black cats, 1955. |
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| Halloween pumpkin, 1955. |
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| Ding-dong! Look out, the Jolly Roger and the devil are knocking at your door! Back in 1955, these trick-or-treaters stashed their candy in paper and cloth bags. |
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| Here’s hoping that this pair of ghouls skips ringing your doorbell this Halloween, 1956. |
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| It’s time to get the party started! Taken at a 1957 Halloween party held at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, these witches’ hats and party horns double as tabletop decorations. |
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| Carved pumpkin display, 1958. |
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| Carved pumpkin trio, 1959. |
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| Corn husks and Flint corn, ca. 1960s. |
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| The charming cut-outs on the fireplace were standard fare when this photo was taken back in 1967 at the Baxter Library in Portland, Maine. |
