HAPPY HALLOWEEN--1908 STYLE!

1909 Halloween card by artist
Ellen H. Clapsaddle

Halloween 1909--more sweet than spooky! This card was sent to my Mom, Arlene Noyes when she was four years old, from a cousin, Mary Birdie Eales (19 July 1873 - 24 October 1952).  Birdie's father was Benjamin Eales, a half-brother to my Grandma Daisy. Uncle Ben was an engineer for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Birdie moved with her father and mother from Wisconsin to St. Paul sometime prior to 1895. Her mother died in 1903 and she continued to keep house for her father until his death in 1914. I have many, many greeting cards from Birdie to my grandparents and my mother. Birdie never married.  While still at home, she was a sales lady for various dry goods and leather goods stores. Later she became a live-in maid. Though I would have been 12 when she died in 1952, I do not remember ever having met her.

Reverse of Ellen H. Clapsaddle card

The Halloween card above is signed by Ellen H[attie] Clapsaddle (1863-1934), described by Collectors Weekly as "one of the most prolific American postcard artists of the era...[she] produced some of the most collectible Halloween cards today for Raphael Tuck and Sons...Her style is distinct, particularly her illustrations of children."  There are about 3,000 Ellen H. Clapsaddle signed cards.  The card below is a "TUCK'S POST CARD," produced by 'Raphael Tuck & Sons' "HALLOWE'EN" Post Cards Series 150, Art Publishers to their majesties The KING & QUEEN.'  It was printed in Saxony. As adorable as it is, it does not appear to have an artist's signature, as the the one above by Ellen H. Clapsaddle.

1908 Halloween Post Card published by
Raphael Tuck & Sons

TUCK'S POST CARD reverse

This TUCK'S POST CARD appears to be the oldest of the group, as it was postmarked October 16, 1908. It was also sent by Cousin Birdie and addressed to my Mom, Arlene Noyes, though the message was obviously meant for her Mom, my Grandma Daisy, as Mom would have been only three years old!  Birdie wrote, "Dear Auntie.  How are you folks, hope you are all well.  this is  beautiful day and to nice to be in side.  Now I suppose your busy time is most over. I hear Myrtle was burned out of their new home. Now I think between you and Aunt Anna. might drop a line once in a while--A big kiss for Arlene.  Love, Birdie." [Myrtle Hake was another Eales cousin--daughter of Aunt Harriet/Hattie Eales Wilcox.]

Collectors Weekly writes, "It was the Victorians who homogenized diverse Halloween traditions in middle-class England and America.  For them, it became a genteel holiday about romance, parlour games, and child's play.  Even ghost stories were softened into tales of passion, as members of high society competed to one-up each other with their Halloween parties."

"The late 1800s also marked the beginning of the 'golden era' of postcards.... Turn-of-the-century Halloween postcards featured cute, fat jack o'lanterns topped with equally adorable chubby-cheeked children. Black cats, which used to be burned at Christian festivals for being "witches familiars," were also cuddly icons of these cards, while the witches were often depicted as very pretty ladies bringing messages of love."  This trend of sending postcards lasted into World War I.

Here is another artist signed card. The "HBG" can be seen in the lady's skirt.  To again quote Collectors Weekly, "H.B. Griggs is another highly collectible holiday postcard artist, although so little is known about Griggs it is unclear whether the illustrator was a man or woman.  Griggs, using the signature H.B.G., published almost exclusively for Leubrie and Elkus of New York." He/she painted about 350 known cards.  Griggs was known for his/her flair for caricature and humor.  I'm not recognizing what the artist was depicting in this post card.  No publisher is noted on this card, but it does say that the card was printed in Germany, as were most of the picture post cards of the era.  I find the back of this card interesting because with little handwriting on it, the embossing of the card is visible.  Each of these four cards is embossed, enhancing their being true works of art.

Later Halloween Post Card
No year in Postmark

Later Halloween Post Card
Not as cute and cuddly as earlier cards.

This fourth post card appears to be later than the others--certainly no chubby-cheeked children or cuddly black cats in this one! Though the reverse has a postmark, it only reads, "Whitewater Wis. Nov 1 2:30 PM"  No year!  There is no signature that I can find, and no publishers' identification other than "Halloween Series No 3."  This one was sent to my Grandma Daisy from her older sister Lucy Jeannette Eales Brown.  "Dear Daisy: Are you going to meet on Annie's birthday.  Let me know if you are.  I am about sick with a cold, hope this fines you all fine.  Lovingly Nettie."

Acknowledgements and my thanks to the following websites:
www.collectorsweekly.com/postcards/halloween
www.vintageimagecraft.com/griggs.html