October 31st, 1954
Take a trip with me back to a time where there were more questions than answers. My obsession with the 80’s led me to my fascination with the 1950’s…. and I’m grateful for it all.
This 1950’s party hat is one of many made at the time, I bought it from a collector and he had plenty. Oh man, do I want to know the exact year these items come from but it’s just not possible. They all came from different sources but radiate the same mystique as they did a lifetime ago. The candles and banner are the only reproductions from all the items shown. Vampira’s image comes from a magazine reporting on her mysterious friendship with James Dean. Those two are probably my favorite figures from the time, (hell, from any time) and rightfully now immortal legends.
As mentioned above the banner is a reproduction but it’s gorgeous. It immediately helps bring everything together. For this “shoot” I wanted to bake some 1950’s treats so I did and decided on cupcakes. I even learned to pipe icing to be able to create the werewolf and ghost designs! They look simple but were planned out in advance to fit right into 1954. I actually did all of this the morning of Halloween while trying to keep my shirt clean for the photographs. It was a bit stressful but it really immersed me into the fantasy! I felt as if I was getting ready for a real Halloween party in 1954. The ghost stories that would’ve been told at this parry would’ve been legendary! The skeleton hanging stayed there after the shoot and would spin around all day. It’s authentically 50’s and had some wear and tear but it could only be noticed up close. My watch is a WestClox Wrist Ben in a rare copper color which actually functions! Another James Dean connection in the shoot, as he owned a silver version of this watch (which I found at a vintage market as well!). The jack o’ lantern was carved the night before, thankfully stayed fresh and the face matched many early 50’s reference photographs I saw.
I need to frame this napkin with the stripes and bats because it’s the absolute best napkin I’ve ever owned! What happened in the last 70 years to quality designs like this on mundane items like napkins?! The opened card also has bats on it, but the typography is the real stand out feature on there!
This year I might do Halloween 1955, add more items, and maybe even bake a whole cake! Hopefully my wallet allows me to keep finding the right items for my 1950’s escape.
