Great Tastes in Books
With recent inclusion of Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting among books about vintage Halloween in the Practical Peculiarities household library (and see Nikk’s latest cookbook Peculiar Baking), it seems a perfect time to review some of the items shown in Nikk’s 2023 AND 2024 specials… and offer a few links to relative archives and libraries across the United States offering more data for those wishing to pursue vintage Halloween collectibles.
Practical Peculiarities 2024 Halloween Special “Sweet Soirée” by Nikk Alcaraz (above) kindly offers screen time to new vintage collectibles guidebook Halloween Artifacts by THR.
2023 Halloween Special
& Dennison’s 1923 Bogie Book
A first for the author, Nikk Alcaraz offers a 2023 Halloween Special (on youtube) – one of those select modern specials bringing concepts back-to-life from the past. In this case, spirits from 100 years ago rise from the pages of Dennison’s 1923 Bogie Book.
Above: Vintage Halloween Party Ideas from the 1920’s by Nikk Alcaraz – linked here.
Below: Cover of Dennison’s 1923 Bogie Book – link here to more from THR.
More Dennison & Bogie Book History
Modern vintage Halloween collectors are now aware, more than ever, that primary sources of historical data make for amazing resources – turning catch-phrases like the 1920’s… the 1930’s… one-season only…, common…, etc., on end. If your appetite is hungry for more information about vintage Dennison, particularly content pulled from primary sources of America’s past, be sure to check out the Instagram account of Dennison Archivist.
Thanks to knowledgeable assistance from Framingham History Center, internal letters of Dennison Manufacturing Company provide conclusive details about serial numbers in their publications. This allows The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 2 (Dec. 2024) to feature the first known break-down of such numbers used across a range of Dennison publications (seasonal and non-seasonal). Included with that THR volume is this poster (below) that, with book covers, offers a quick reference so you know which books are truly rare versus those of phenomenal quantities!
Poster from The Halloween Retrospect, Vol 2 (Dec. 2024) of Dennison autumn publications.
Note: all THR books are for sale via THR bookstore on Etsy.
2024 Halloween SpeciaL
& Books of Honorable Mention
NEW for 2024 Halloween, Nikk Alcaraz offers up Sweet Soirée. In this special the author finds himself, the new resident of an older house, offering his viewers a selection of Halloween treats by way of vintage Halloween pamphlets and from help by ghostly visitations.
The Halloween Retrospect is beyond flattered that Practical Peculiarities kindly offers screen time to vintage collectibles reference book Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting – utilizing it’s picture-book style content to inspire a vintage-style jack o’lantern (seen above).
Are you too seeking to decorate an older house, maybe one from the years 1900-1970? This just might be the book to help with such inspiration.
The new book (8-1/2 x 11 full-color pages) focuses on jack o’lanterns, shades, and even prints in luminescent inks – all created for the vintage holiday market from 1900-1970. Across the main 100 page gallery-area of the book, readers will find multiple views of single objects, or multiple objects that may have not been previously seen in print (beyond postage-stamp scale). There are works by Toledo Metal, Beistle, Dennison, Gibson, Dolly Toy., American Novelty., Miller Electric., Hallmark, and Empire Plastics (to name but some).
Vintage Halloween collectibles guide book by THR – Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting
More Books for Your Peculiar LIbrary!
Practical Peculiarities does mention a couple of other books that THR wants to recognize from the 2024 Halloween Special. Check out Halloween Collectables: A Price Guide by Dan and Pauline Campanelli, as well as Vintage Hallowe’en Party Book by Robert Pandis.
Happy Halloween 2024!
Don’t forget to purchase Halloween Artifacts or any THR book from the Etsy online store.
PLEASE NOTE: THR does NOT employ AI-generative technology. Content is created by human biological entities to ensure results engage accurate research with mindful artistry.
Follow THR on Instagram @halloweenretrospecs
Follow THR on Facebook Halloween Retrospect