Advances in printing techniques at the end of the 19th century opened numerous business opportunities, and picture postcards were among the most profitable ones. Sending cards by mail became a custom rising from thousands to millions and eventually billions of users per year in less than a decade. Cute color pictures on the front of the postcards made them likable and collectible, and with mass production they also became affordable. Companies like International Art Publishing Company, John Winsch, Leubrie & Elkus, and Raphael Tuck & Sons became major players and some artists specialized in this area only. Ellen H. Clapsaddle even established her own company Wolf Bros., a subsidiary of International Art Publishing Company, where she produced over one thousand cards!
When postcards became a huge business producers started to influence the behavior of the customers. The chance of sending a card should become as predictable as possible, so special niches were created. Greeting cards and holiday cards were divided into birthday, name day, congratulation, etc. – cards, or Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year, St. Patrick, Valentine, etc. – cards.
Archie Gunn (1863-1930)
Halloween cards have a special place among collectors. They came on the market a bit later and were printed in lower numbers than most other holiday-related postcards, which means they are harder to get. Vintage Halloween cards in general achieve higher prices on auctions and if they are signed they are even pricier. If a typical vintage Christmas or Valentine’s card costs around 20 bucks, Halloween cards can cost around 50 dollars. There are even ultra-niche specific collectors who are interested only in used vintage postcards sent on October 31!
Martin Anderson aka Cynicus (1854-1932)
Collecting vintage postcards with a Halloween theme is not just a lovely pastime of collecting cute little pictures. It’s also an exciting journey into old customs, among which some (like bobbing for apples) are almost forgotten today, and offers an educative insight into the changes in our society during the last century or so. Just by examining the old Halloween cards, you can, for instance, notice that most of the pictured characters like witches or Jack-o’-Lanterns were much prettier in the first decades of the 20th century than they are today. Some are humorous and others even pretty romantic, reflecting one of the old Irish customs of trying to find a sweetheart on Halloween.
This page will present some of the Halloween picture cards made by the most popular artists who excelled during the so-called Golden Age. In time, the collection will expand and give you even more interesting info. Have a nice tour!
Halloween Cards by H. B. Griggs
H. B. Griggs (1870-1940) was an American illustrator who created at least five hundred postcards. Many of them are influenced by the Art Nouveau style. HBG, as he generally signed them, created the whole series for different holidays. Halloween was just one of them.
Ellen H. Clappsaddle’s Halloween Greeting Cards
Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle (1865-1934) is the most popular postcard artist of all time. Her Halloween cards are full of light and bright colors. The portrayed children in her illustrations are always smiling (or just about to start) and you’ll never find a fear factor.
Louis Wain’s Cats for Halloween
Louis Wain (1860-1939) is probably the most famous artist related to cats. His anthropomorphized cats are presented in hundreds of situations characteristic of humans. In general, they are funny and optimistic, but we managed to find a few created for Halloween. These are a bit spooky, yet still with a healthy dose of Wain’s signature humor.
Halloween Cards by Frances Brundage
Frances Isabelle Lockwood Brundage (1854-1937) was the only postcard artist comparable to the success of Ellen Clapsaddle. They didn’t rub shoulders only by their fame and earnings, but by the appearance of their characters, too. Brundage’s children with rosy plumpy cheeks and dreamy staring eyes charmed millions and millions of customers. Halloween cards by Frances Brundage were no exception – kids were in the main roles and the scary elements were always presented in some kind of fun, optimistic, and humorous way.
Samuel L. Schmucker
Samuel Loren Schmucker (1879-1921) was one of the top American postcard artists with numerous achievements. His success is even more praiseworthy considering the fact he learned drawing and painting despite suffering from polio, which also led to his premature death. Halloween postcards are among the best creations by Samuel Schmucker.
This concludes the article about vintage Halloween cards. (By the way, check Halloween calendars, too!)
If you enjoyed the journey, support us by telling your friends, relatives, followers, readers, … Let’s keep the beauty of vintage art in our collective memory!
