Halloween Postcard "Let This Not Frighten You..."

Early 20th-century Halloween postcards frequently blended traditional spooky imagery with contemporary cultural elements. This card's depiction of an "Old Sheriff Witch" flying a child to the "Penitentiary" reflects the evolving nature of Halloween from its more macabre origins to a holiday increasingly focused on children, often incorporating humorous warnings or moralistic tales for youthful mischief during the festivities. Such playful threats were a common motif in holiday greetings of the era.

The inclusion of an early aeroplane, a still-novel technology in the early 1900s, firmly places this postcard in a period of intense public fascination with aviation. Integrating such modern marvels into traditional holiday themes was a popular practice, showcasing how rapidly advancing technology permeated popular culture and imagination, blending the old-world folklore of witches with the new age of flight and speed. The "No. 13" on the child's uniform playfully nods to the superstitions associated with Halloween.