Nightmares of Halloween Past

Vintage Photographs from the Collection of Gary Baseman

An opportunity to share a sold-out, limited-run photographic tribute to one of America’s favorite holidays with a wider audience.

As a child, Halloween was acclaimed artist Gary Baseman’s favorite holiday—an extension of his love of otherworldly monsters and characters on TV and film. In the 1990s, he started his collection of more than 2,000 dark, playful, surreal vintage photographs of people in masks and costumes. Gathered primarily at flea markets, these images, taken by unknown photographers, represent intimate tributes to Halloween and American legacy. The photographs have long inspired Baseman to create not just paintings, but scores of costumes and masks of his own that he has used for photography, video, and performance art.

The photos compiled here speak a thousand words and inspire a thousand more questions. What might ï¬rst appear scary will soon become endearing when you realize that the people under the ghoulish masks and macabre costumes are smiling and having fun. The combination of nightmares, childhood memories, and odd beauty found in these photos also makes each one a mesmerizing work of found art.

SPOOKY GIFT: This dark “family album” collects 300+ photographs of vintage photography plus 15 of the author’s Halloween-inspired signature paintings.

LYRICAL ESSAYS: In addition to Gary Baseman’s personal essays about his collection and his love of monsters and Halloween, artist Phyllis Galembo and scholar Catherine Zuromskis contribute essays about the history of Halloween costumes and photography.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

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