PetaPixel has posted some vintage photos of Halloween outfits from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Some of the photos are really quite disturbing.

And perfect for Halloween...

Enjoy!


https://petapixel.com/2022/10/28/centur … -costumes/

Disturbing is right!  Some of those look like they could be in the opening credit sequence to a really freaky season of American Horror Story.

I find them fascinating. Creative, slightly disturbing but at the same time everyone looked poor So they took what they had and made some interesting masks. As if there was a theme. Wonder what was going on around them at that time to manifest those creations?

Some pretty good mask work, as that's what they seem to concentrate working with.  Paper bags are main work product.  But some of them look a bit 'klan' ish in design and appearance.

I find this somewhat refreshing, harking back to the age before commercialization took over everything.
Mostly masks and all handmade. The crudeness gives them that disturbing sort of crooked, distorted look.
When we see what we consider horror today in movies this is what we see, a one-off handmade mask giving that unfamiliar to us look. it's that uniqueness that we interpret as disturbing because we aren't used to seeing it!!
I'm sure the rich folk had something more commercial or that bespoke polished look bordering on commercial for their private parties!
John