American Colorgravure Pub. Halloween Witch On Broom Holding Cat Postcard

Halloween, as a popular secular holiday, experienced significant commercialization and widespread celebration in the United States and other Western countries from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. Postcards became a primary medium for conveying holiday greetings and imagery during this era. Illustrations like this one frequently softened traditional macabre elements, depicting witches as whimsical, child-like figures rather than menacing old crones, which broadened the holiday's appeal.