HALLOWEEN DISPLAY

 HALLOWEEN DISPLAY 

1907 HALLOWEEN IN THE AMERICAN CITY.

What is the Halloween?

Halloween is traditional Holiday celebrated on October 31st in in The Great Britain, Scotland,  France,Ireland, and The USA. The old name of the Holiday was, and still is- Samhain or Sauin(in Scottish). The name of the holiday is coming from Gaelic language and means-November. With the coming of the month of November- Autumn season officially ended and Winter season is coming to town. The eve of the new day in Celtic and Gaelic tradition has always been considered the sunset and the evening- The Eve. Samhain has always been one of the Four Calendar Holiday festivals of the Gaelic and Celtic nations and it is celebrated as the holiday worldwide, though is not considered to be Flag Day in the United States of America.

How Halloween is celebrated?

Halloween was traditional family reunion, celebrated with traditional family meal. House was usually decorated with carved pumpkins- Jack-O-Lanterns, nice bouquets of oak branches and nuts. This was traditional way. Since 1900ds the celebration of Halloween is becoming more festive and of course, decorations of the homes, houses and buildings become more and more elaborate and more and more sophisticated,

 How did  traditional Halloween windows decorations and windows displays of the American pharmacy store looked like in 1907?

They were seriously festive and interesting. The moving figures were quite popular already. Here is the description of the traditional advertisement of the central pharmacy of the city in the USA on the Eve of Halloween. Description was found in the magazine Confectioners and Bakers Gazette , year 1907, MONTH OF OCTOBER

This advertising of the pharmacy products was suggested to any confectioner,who had the electric light and power in the store-which was absolutely installed in each store and in each Pharmacy of the United States of America. It was stated, by the advertisers and the artitsts, that each owner of the store was able to make a very striking window display at a small expense in this way, as described below.

How did the project of the window Halloween decorations for a standard store looked like in 1907?

 In the bottom of the window, there should have been  cut a round hole of about one foot in diameter.  Over this hole it was suggested to fasten a screen of coarse wire. Above the opening of the hole- the suggestion was- to hang a gypsy kettle with a tripod.It was the simplest way to attract the attention of the client to the window of the pharmacy, and of course- to enter the store.

How the wires were masked?

 To the wires of the screen in the window, it was suggested to fasten  the short pointed streamers of red crepe paper, interspersed with a few blue ones- as all Americans love. Now, the nice illumination effect would have been reached if, underneath the opening of the hole, the arranged so, that their light will be thrown up under the kettle, there should  have been installed three or four electric light bulbs of the red color.

How the thrill was added?

 The blaze of the fire and the thrill to all this electric installation  was created by the simple fan, installed in the bottom of the construction. Under this say, lying on the floor face up, there had to be an electric fan installed. The fan  caused the streamers to flutter up around the kettle, and this combined with the red light , was producing the nice effect of a blazing fire underneath the kettle. To mask the electric wires and equipment, the decorator just needed enough of the crepe paper. 

 A Halloween window was the October attraction  since 1906 year in a well known confectionery stores of the United States of America, and this is the real historical fact.

Halloween window has always been interspersed with a fine display of candy and beverages,- the pride of the American Pharmacy. Of course  there were jack-o-lanterns, magic mirrors, and other articles, much used in the ceremonies and celebrations of the Halloween- especially incidental to that occasion. In the centre of the display, traditionally, there were arranged the three wooden bowls,- so well known in Scotch superstition. One  wooden bowl was filled with clear water. and one wooden bowl was filled  with muddy water, and the third wooden  bowl has always been left empty- so the Scottish tradition was kept and preserved,