Album Halloween from Alan Mays

Space Explorer (Trick or Treat with Fluffy the Bunny and the Space Explorer, 1971)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 03:05:04 +0000

I'm not sure why the Ben Cooper company named this costume a Space Explorer instead of an Astronaut, especially since "NASA" is emblazoned on it. With the Apollo 14 and 15 moon landings taking place in 1971, I'm sure that the costume was a popular one for Halloween that year.

The small orange cylinder that the Space Explorer is holding in his right hand contains a battery and a switch that turns a light in the helmet mask on and off. I can't tell if the light was activated when this photo was taken.

See also Fluffy the Bunny and the full photo from 1971.

Fluffy the Bunny (Trick or Treat with Fluffy the Bunny and the Space Explorer, 1971)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 03:05:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Fluffy the Bunny is a Ben Cooper Halloween costume. Earlier versions of the Fluffy costume had plain sleeves and legs instead of the checkered pattern seen here.

See also the Space Explorer and the full photo from 1971.

Trick or Treat with Fluffy the Bunny and a Space Explorer, 1971

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 03:05:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of dressed up (for Halloween, to go out, on a special occasion, etc.).

Handwritten note on the other side of this Polaroid: "Mike & Pat, Halloween 1971."

This is a color photo of two kids dressed up as Fluffy the Bunny and a Space Explorer in Halloween costumes by the Ben Cooper company.

The small orange cylinder that the Space Explorer is holding in his right hand contains a battery and a switch that turns a light in the helmet mask on and off.

See also close-ups of Fluffy the Bunny and the Space Explorer.

Halloween Party Prisoners

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 02:33:58 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of funny costume or outfit (for Halloween or any other occasion).

Handwritten note on the other side of this photo: "Mary K. Anderson. Helen Troxell. (B. B. Kids). Halloween Party."

As the note suggests, Mary and Helen evidently dressed in black and white stripes in imitation of prison garb to wear as Halloween costumes Judging by the painted backdrop and window frame, they posed for the photo in a studio setting.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard. There's no address, postmark, stamp box, or any other information on the verso that would provide any clues to the location or date of the photo.

Three Kids with Halloween Jack-o'-Lanterns, ca. 1966

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 22:08:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of haunted by Halloween (Trick or treat, give us something good to see! Halloween photos of any kind, including costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, skeletons, ghosts, haunted houses, monsters, or anything spooky or scary. No limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like!).

The kid standing on the right flashed a V sign (or peace sign) here and in another photo where he's dressed in a Fred Flintstone costume. The jack-o'-lanterns also make an appearance in the other photo.

Fred Flintstone with Halloween Jack-o'-Lanterns, ca. 1966

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 17:14:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks or treats! (any kind of Halloween photo, including costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, skeletons, haunted houses, or anything spooky, scary, or frightening; no limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like!).

As far as I've been able to determine, the boy in this photo is wearing a Fred Flintstone costume -- a Ben Cooper TV Hero Costume -- that dates to 1966. He's posing behind three jack-o'-lanterns. Note the flame at the top of the middle one and the used matchsticks on the floor.

Who Was That Masked Man?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 17:14:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks or treats! (any kind of Halloween photo, including costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, skeletons, haunted houses, or anything spooky, scary, or frightening; no limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like!).

A photo of three young men goofing around in the backyard. I'm not sure if that's a Halloween mask or whether the fellow in the middle is wearing it voluntarily, but the two other guys appear to be having fun. There seems to be a lot of activity going on around them, with a woman partially visible on the right, a dog on the left, and a man walking in the background.

Jack's Halloween Costume, 1933

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 17:14:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks or treats! (any kind of Halloween photo, including costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, skeletons, haunted houses, or anything spooky, scary, or frightening; no limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like!).

Handwritten caption in green ink, lower right-hand corner: "Jack - Hallow-Eve - 1933."

A real photo postcard showing "Jack" -- usually a man's name -- dressed as a woman for Halloween in 1933.

The photo was previously pasted in an album and has remnants of paper and glue on the other side. The photographic paper used for the postcard backing has an Azo stamp box (squares in all four corners, in use from 1924 to 1949).

Boy in Halloween Costume with Scarecrow and Jack-O'-Lantern

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 16:48:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks and treats for Halloween.

A young boy dressed in a clown or hobo Halloween costume holds the hand of a scarecrow as he poses for a picture. On the table behind him is a grinning jack-o'-lantern wearing a pointed hat.

The same scarecrow decoration coincidently shows up in another photo. See Funny Easter Bunnies at Halloween, 1961. The 1961 date on that photo suggests that this one dates to the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Halloween Heads—Girl with Jack-O'-Lanterns, 1972

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 03:34:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks and treats for Halloween.

A cute and amusing Halloween snapshot that's a little out of focus. Although the photo was developed in "Feb. 73" (as indicated on the left-hand border), the girl evidently posed with her jack-o'-lanterns during the previous October.

For a similar picture, see I Love My Jack-O'-Lantern!

Funny Easter Bunnies at Halloween, 1961

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:21:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of something funny.

A couple of funny Easter bunnies -- actually dressed up for Halloween -- pose in front of a fireplace as they hold their carrots.

Printed on the back: "This is a Kodacolor print made by Kodak. November 1961 R." The November photo developing date was the first clue that these are Halloween costumes (but I'm counting them as Easter bunnies, too!). There's also a scarecrow standing on top of a pumpkin (on the right in front of the fireplace) that's obviously an autumn decoration, and it looks like there may be pumpkin and ghost figurines on the mantel.

See also Quizzical Kids in Easter Costumes and more photos in my Funny Bunnies album.

A Little Girl with a Jack-o'-Lantern, 1969

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 22:08:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of haunted by Halloween (Trick or treat, give us something good to see! Halloween photos of any kind, including costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, skeletons, ghosts, haunted houses, monsters, or anything spooky or scary. No limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like!).

A snapshot of a young girl posing with a jack-o'-lantern.

For similar photos, see A Big Jack-O'-Lantern and a Little Kid and I Love My Jack-O'-Lantern!

Halloween Clown and Bunny Girls, 1979

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 03:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The second of two photos of girls dressed as a clown and a bunny for Halloween in 1979 ("December 1979" is stamped on the back of the photos, but there's no location information).

See also the other photo with its landscape orientation.

Halloween Clown and Bunny Girls, 1979

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 03:58:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly theme of two's company—photos of two people (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic).

One of two photos of girls dressed as a clown and a bunny for Halloween in 1979 ("December 1979" is stamped on the back of the photos, but there's no location information).

See also the second photo with its portrait orientation.

Halloween Get-Together with Owl Centerpiece and Witch Hat, October 1971 (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:33:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Take a look at the Halloween decorations in the photo. There's a honeycomb tissue owl in the middle of the table, black cats on the cups and plates, and a witch on the hat that the woman is wearing.

For more information, see the full version of this photo.

Halloween Get-Together with Owl Centerpiece and Witch Hat, October 1971

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:33:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly theme of free-for-all (submit as many vintage photos on any topic as you'd like each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic). This also fits the previous theme of Halloween (costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, gravestones, or anything else spooky or scary).

A snapshot of a Halloween gathering in October 1971. In the middle of the table are two lighted candles and a honeycomb tissue owl centerpiece. One woman is holding a candy apple, and the woman to her right is wearing a party hat decorated with the silhouette of a witch. Images of black cats are visible on the cups and plates.

See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the table decorations and witch hat.

For a second photo of the same scene taken from a different angle, see Halloween Get-Together with Owl and Black Cat Decorations, October 1971.

Halloween Get-Together with Owl and Black Cat Decorations, October 1971 (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:33:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Notice the owl centerpiece and the tablecloth pattern with black cats as witches stirring the contents of cauldrons. Also visible on the tables are candles, plates, cups, spoons, and candy apples. For more information, see the full version of this photo.

Halloween Get-Together with Owl and Black Cat Decorations, October 1971

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:33:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of forks, knives, and/or spoons. This also fits the previous theme of Halloween (costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, gravestones, or anything else spooky or scary).

A snapshot of women gathered around a kitchen table decorated for Halloween in October 1971, as the date printed at the top of the photo indicates.

The centerpiece is a honeycomb tissue owl, originally packaged as a "Dennison Halloween Owl, 10" Tall," as I was able to determine after a Google Images search. The pattern on the tablecloth shows an image of black cats as witches stirring the contents of cauldrons. There are also candles, plates, cups, spoons, and candy apples on the table.

See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the Halloween decorations.

For another photo of the same scene from a different angle, see Halloween Get-Together with Owl Centerpiece and Witch Hat, October 1971.

Who Was That Masked Man?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 03:52:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of Halloween (costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, gravestones, or anything else spooky or scary; no limit—post as many Halloween photos as you'd like).

A photo of a man (or possibly a woman) wearing a grotesque mask, overalls, suit jacket, gloves, neckerchief, and straw hat. He's carrying a cane in one hand and a package wrapped in newspapers in the other.

Could this be a Halloween costume? If so, is he dressed as a farmer? Or do the cane and package suggest a stick-type bindle characteristic of a hobo?

This is an unused real photo postcard with an AGFA-ANSCO stamp box on the other side, which indicates that it may date to the 1930s or 1940s.

A couple of other details point to a specific locale. First, under magnification, the heading on part of the bundled up newspapers says, "New Era," so it's possible that it was the Lancaster New Era, a paper published in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Secondly, a pouch of "Good Bite" chewing tobacco with a fish logo is sticking out of the breast pocket on the man's suit jacket. The Good Bite brand of chewing tobacco originated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

For some other disconcerting masks, see Costume Creepiness.

Uncle Sam, Sunbury, Pa., 1931 (Detail)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 03:12:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Who was that masked man? Why, Uncle Sam, of course, though his appearance here was for Halloween rather than the expected Fourth of July holiday.

You may also want to take a gander at the full photo.