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Vintage Mask Roundup #1

So, cause it's almost Halloween, I figured I'd do something a little bit different before doing a new real post. I have a real love for two things: vintage photography and vintage Halloween stuff, be it promotional work, decorations or, of course, masks. So I figured I'd start doing these once in a while when I want to highlight some of the best old vintage mask photos I could find in one big post. So let's take a look at this first one and try and assess what exactly it is we're seeing here. I get a sort of "sheep herder" vibe from this, which is an impressive thing to get a group to go along with, especially when the only actual costume that's different can only be the herder themselves, but at the same time, it kind of says a lot of group mentality. I refuse to accept the word "sheeple" but in this context I think it'd be hilarious. This one, though, isn't really scary of unsettling or anything like that. Sure, it's weird, but that's all it is.

In a complete 180, we have quite possibly the strangest of the bunch. This feels like a piece of promotional art for some alt rock band in the 80s. First of all, those eyes are fantastic and I want one, but the combination of the suits makes them work all the more, making these two seem like they're from some sort of company and are about to give you the business. But the BEST part about this is how the one in front is looking back at the other one, meaning that the persons head is actually in the iris of the mask, and the rest of the eye, the lids and whatnot, are simply an addition to it. Awesome.

This still feels like a weird piece of promotional art for some british band from the 80s, but that's okay. And even if it turns out this isn't even vintage, that's okay too. I just like this in general, and I want one of those eyes. I also love how half interested they appear to be, as if they couldn't care less about what they were doing or what was going on. These cats are cool as ice, and I can respect that. When you're a giant walking eye, you're allowed to feel that cool.


Then we've got, what I consider, to be the most unsettling of the bunch, honestly. Nothing about this photo has a good vibe about it. First of all, the combination of creepy unicorn mask mixed with tan suit is just unnerving in and of itself, but then you throw in the addition of holding a baby that looks like it's about to, justifiably in this situation, shit itself in terror and you get this photo. Uncle Unicorn here is probably just this kids dad or something, but holy hell does this picture make me uncomfortable. Giant eyeballs in suits? No problem. Unicorn masks in suits? Weird as hell.

It also kind of looks like they're sitting/standing in front of a fireplace? But I could be wrong about that. Still, the brick aspect behind them only adds to the whole uncomfortable feeling I get from this picture. I'm sure there's absolutely, in reality, nothing menacing or strange about this whatsoever, but damn does it unnerve me.




Then we've got my favorite of all of them. At first glance this appears to just be a general costume party, and nothing out of the ordinary, and it turns out it IS just that! Except for one thing that I want to draw focus on, and that's the ghost in the front row.


Where everyone else elected to wear top hats or dresses or something really generic and uninteresting, this person went whole hog and just came in a classic sheet ghost costume. I respect that. Mad props to you sheet ghost. I know you're not really a mask, but I love you for being you. There's just something absolutely magical about looking at this picture and noticing them sticking out like a sore thumb, but, like, a good sore thumb. A sore thumb you can be proud you smashed with a hammer and then showed to other people who couldn't appreciate its glory. I know this isn't technically a mask, as I said, but I still am putting it here because the framing of this whole thing is just fabulous, and I wish I could actually own this picture, displaying it proudly on my wall every single day for all to see.


And then finally, just for fun, there's this guy, because fuck it.
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