Davis Co. Halloween Postcard 'I'm Sending You Across...'
Halloween, as depicted on this postcard, reflects its transformation in the early 20th century from an ancient harvest festival with supernatural and spiritual undertones to a more secular, child-focused holiday in North America and Western cultures. This period witnessed the widespread popularization of the jack-o'-lantern, a tradition rooted in Irish folklore, becoming a central, cheerful symbol of the season.
The postcard's illustration, featuring children and a black cat alongside the jack-o'-lantern, captures the era's evolving holiday aesthetic. Black cats, traditionally associated with witchcraft and superstition, were often playfully incorporated into Halloween imagery, while the focus on children highlighted the holiday's shift towards domestic celebration and festive, rather than frightening, motifs. This artistic style is characteristic of the "Golden Age" of postcards, roughly from 1900 to 1915, when illustrated holiday greetings flourished.
The postcard's illustration, featuring children and a black cat alongside the jack-o'-lantern, captures the era's evolving holiday aesthetic. Black cats, traditionally associated with witchcraft and superstition, were often playfully incorporated into Halloween imagery, while the focus on children highlighted the holiday's shift towards domestic celebration and festive, rather than frightening, motifs. This artistic style is characteristic of the "Golden Age" of postcards, roughly from 1900 to 1915, when illustrated holiday greetings flourished.
