Home-made horrors: Photo collection of US Halloween costumes through history show they used to be MUCH creepier when people made their own

  • The images cover a period from 1875 up to 1955 tracking Halloween trends
  • The earliest home made costumes look sinister compared those from a shop
  • The photographs feature children and adults dressed as a range of animals 
  • Devils, witches and ghosts also appeared very popular in the photographs
  • The images were collated by British artist Ossian Brown for his new book 

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: 10:38 EST, 21 October 2014 | Updated: 12:36 EST, 21 October 2014

These creepy photographs log how America celebrated Halloween from 1875 to 1955, covering a period of time where the nation rebuilt itself after the Civil War and turned into a global superpower.

The macabre images show families celebrating Halloween dressed in a variety of home made customs featuring the devil, ghouls and various creatures from the other world.

Popular themes include devils, witches and animals.

British artist Ossian Brown has collated the wonderful collection of Halloween photographs from 1875 to 1955

British artist Ossian Brown has collated the wonderful collection of Halloween photographs from 1875 to 1955

The images show the great imaginations of children and adults when it came to celebrating the ghoulish event

The images show the great imaginations of children and adults when it came to celebrating the ghoulish event

Even these children dressed as clowns look remarkably sinister with their serious faces  

Even these children dressed as clowns look remarkably sinister with their serious faces  

The earliest images come in the years while America was rebuilt following the end of the Civil War in 1865. 

The pictures were collated by English artist Ossian Brown for his book Haunted Air.

He said: 'I find their haunting melancholy completely absorbing; all of these photographs now torn out, disembodied and forgotten - they've now become fully and utterly the masks and phantoms they dragged up as, all those years ago.'

Brown was fascinated by the creativity of people who were living in poverty, but still managed to create 'incredible and phantasmagorical apparitions'.

David Lynch, who wrote the foreword of the book, said: 'All the clocks had stopped. A void out of time. And here they are – looking out and holding themselves still – holding still at that point where two worlds join – the familiar – and the other.'

These children appear to be dressed as some form of rabbit or hare which are not known as October animals

These children appear to be dressed as some form of rabbit or hare which are not known as October animals

These three girls form the 1956s show the beginning of commercialisation with shop-bought costumes

These three girls form the 1956s show the beginning of commercialisation with shop-bought costumes

These two children are clearly dressed as witches with masks in an area with some snow on the ground 

These two children are clearly dressed as witches with masks in an area with some snow on the ground 

This woman is wearing a mask but car enthusiasts might recognise the Ford Model T beside the house

This woman is wearing a mask but car enthusiasts might recognise the Ford Model T beside the house

One of these people is wearing a mask while the second is wearing a ghoulish sheet with holes cut for eyes

One of these people is wearing a mask while the second is wearing a ghoulish sheet with holes cut for eyes

This teenage girl looks like she could easily audition for the next installment of the SAW slasher franchise 

This teenage girl looks like she could easily audition for the next installment of the SAW slasher franchise 

If the zombie apocalypse hits and these four people arrive at your door it might be time to run to the safe room

If the zombie apocalypse hits and these four people arrive at your door it might be time to run to the safe room

This family looks like the inspiration for a late-night version of the Muppets 

This family looks like the inspiration for a late-night version of the Muppets 

This teenage boy is wearing a sinister skull mask with small hat but it is his large spike which adds menace

This teenage boy is wearing a sinister skull mask with small hat but it is his large spike which adds menace

These young children again look like they could quite easily appear as an extra in a horror movie

These young children again look like they could quite easily appear as an extra in a horror movie

 

Comments (47)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now