As ghouls and goblins roam the streets tonight looking for treats, you may or may not recognize a few of your neighbors. The makeup and costumes these days are elaborate! I’ve seen electric skeletons and fog-producing walking cauldrons hold out a gloved hand for a mini-Snickers bar. Some of the modern-day costumes come with soundtracks, and they are mostly gruesome!
When we were kids, half a century ago, we typically made our costumes out of sheets and pillowcases. There were some pre-made Snow White costumes available at the drug store. But the masks were made of cheap plastic with very sharp edges and a tight elastic band that was intended to hold it in place – that was iffy. The pre-cut eye holes usually settled in on the cheekbones, leaving the costume wearer in the dark. For me, the pain wasn’t worth it, so I stuck to my home-dyed sheets and pillowcases with a little tin foil thrown in.
In 1920, the costumes looked much more comfortable. This photograph in the McClung Digital Collection shows a Halloween party in 1920s, with some interesting tells. Clowns and jesters seemed to be particularly popular, and Peter Pan was well represented. One boy appears to be campaigning for William Jennings Bryan two decades too late. It’s interesting that there are few masks or much makeup, and I wouldn’t be too spooked by most of them if I ran into them unexpectedly. Horror must not have been fashionable in those days. It was just a party full of neighbors who could actually recognize each other. There’s not a lot of information about the photo, but it’s fun to see the styles of the day.
Speaking of Halloween, nothing conjures up this season more than shadows in an old cemetery. McClung reference librarian Danette Welch has uncovered the story of the Lady in White: The Haunting of Old Grey Cemetery. Enjoy. It’s the season for a good ghost story!
Happy Halloween!
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library.
