Golden Era Hallowe'en Party

[Bubble Cheeks]

Hello! I'm new here. I do believe this is my first post!
My name is Lenore. I am 33. I am a native New Orleanian. I now live in NYC. (Astoria Queens, actually). I'm into the 40's and 50's, and am very much into tiki. I'm a tiki and retro illustrator and designer. Nice to "meet" you!

OK, so now I'll get to my question. Hallowe'en is my favorite holiday of the year, and this year I am going to go all out and am throwing a Golden Era Hallowe'en Party. I've been doing some research, and realize that the 20's and 30's is when Hallowe'en parties were at the height of elegance and wonder. Truth be told, because I have spent so many years now completely immersed in tiki and Polynesian culture from the 40-50's, I must admit to being quite a bit ignorant when it comes to the breathtaking glamor of The Golden Era. (Which, as of late, has been relentlessly seducing me to learn about it more and more...)

Does anybody have any party tips for me? Music? Food? Decorations? Party games? I have quite a few vintage Hallowe'en decorations, and am yearning to get my hands on a Bogie Book. No small feat. But I thought I would come here and ask the experts.

Many Thanks!
Lenore

 

[flat-top]

BOO!

http://www.vintagehalloween.com/

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

Thank you for the link! Isn't it wonderful? I think I have just about bought out their store already. lol Many of my decorations came from them. I'm trying to figure out the most authentic way of putting it all together. Overall mood, music, lighting, food, and how to assemble the decorations in a way that makes one feel as if they are truly at a Hallowe'en party in The Golden Era.

The only thing I've truly figured out so far and started working on is a "Spook Tree", which is a tree made of gnarled dead branches I found outside. It towers to the ceiling, even creeping in a bit, and I am hanging all of my vintage Hallowe'en lanterns and ornaments on it. (Most are vintage replicas, like from the store on that website. But they look great just the same!)

Thanks again!

 

[flat-top]

Check out this, and other releases from The Moon-Rays:
http://www.amazon.com/Swingin-at-Se...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221146712&sr=1-1
One of the band's members is also a fellow Fedora Lounger!

 

[BeBopBaby]

The only thing I've truly figured out so far and started working on is a "Spook Tree", which is a tree made of gnarled dead branches I found outside. It towers to the ceiling, even creeping in a bit, and I am hanging all of my vintage Hallowe'en lanterns and ornaments on it. (Most are vintage replicas, like from the store on that website. But they look great just the same!)
Thanks again!

I've done something similar in the past for table centerpieces. Two years ago, I used a hollowed out pumpkin as the vase for the spook tree. I hung lanterns from the branches and little ghosts that I made from cheese cloth. The following year, I bought a vintage papier mache skull candy bucket and I used it for the vase to hold the branches. I also spread autumn leaves around on the tables.

I live in an old Victorian house, so I covered all the furniture with dust cloths so it looked abandoned and hung cobwebs everywhere. And I put out candelabras with candles in them for lighting. It was really neat looking and I did it all with items that I had around the house. the only thing I purchased were the bags of cobwebs.

 

[mike]

I too live in Astoria, it's a great place! I haven't run these in a few years, but if classic morbid stuff is your thing.. I used to run a series of original old time spook show shows at the Coney Island Museum. We had double feature 30's-40's films, with morbid magicians that would conjure spirits that would float over the audiences heads! And turn gorillas into bikini clad girls and saw off peoples arms from the audience etc etc... I was the promoter/stage manager and resident hunchbacked old time movie theatre usher, pillbox hat and all
We even screened some of Willis O'Brien's early animation shorts! I was pretty proud of that, it's actually something I'd like to put together again...

Meanwhile, have you been to the museum of moving image? they're only half open right now due to renovations, but they have a bunch of great stuff, including daily old time serial screenings in their 'egyptian movie palace'

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

Mike, that sound AMAZING. I would LOVE to see that! And yes, I live a very short walk from the Museum of the Moving Image! I love it there! Hubby and I love to go. How exciting to meet you here! You should come to our Halloween party! lol!

PS: If you ever want to put one of those together again, will you let me help? PLEEEEASE? I would die to be involved in something like that! Put me to work, neighbor! Count me in!

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

OOOH, that sounds like a gorgeous centerpiece! I never thought to put it in the pumpkin. Fabulous!

 

[John in Covina]

I remember seeing some cool Halloween stuff come up on The Antique Roadshow on PBS. Some of the Halloween paper-mache items were really cool. I think they came from Germany or Austria.

 

[Rachael]

Vintage Games

I'm in the final stages of preparing for my Addams Family party, and looking for some suggestions for games. We have a vintage dart board set up in the back yard, and I think we'll get the croquet out. I have visions of vintage diversions scattered about the place, largely as a mingling tool since we have a few different groups of friends coming.

Any thoughts on games that would be enjoyable yet easy to pick up? I am trying to avoid things with lots of pieces due to the full-host martini bar.

 

[John in Covina]

Bobbing for apples.