Odd Rabbit Mask Halloween Costume 1908 Real Photo Postcard

The image depicts an early 20th-century costume featuring a homemade or folk-art rabbit mask, likely for Halloween or a similar masquerade event. Before the widespread commercialization of holiday attire, masks were often crafted from simple materials, and their handcrafted nature, combined with early photographic styles, could render them unsettling by modern standards. Animal masks, including rabbits, hold deep roots in various folk traditions and celebratory disguises across cultures.

These photographs provide valuable insight into the evolving holiday traditions of the era, particularly Halloween in North America. Derived from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and European traditions, early 20th-century Halloween customs often involved communal gatherings and pranks, with costumes designed to obscure identity. This aesthetic reflects a unique intersection of vernacular photography, folk art, and the period's cultural understanding of disguise and playful fright.