Sunday Safari - Blacker than the Night

1940s Vintage Cardboard Halloween Die cut Decoration, thanks to Halloween guy


Happy Halloween to everyone! (especially black cat lovers)

Arthur Rackham illustration for Grimm's Fairy Tales,
thanks to ASIFA-Hollywood animation archive

 The Black Cat movie poster, 1934, thanks to This isn't Happiness

 Jenny Dalenoord Wiplala cover, 1958, thanks to art.crazed

 The Alarm of the Black Cat cover, 1942, via She Blogged By Night

 Tomb of Ligeia movie poster via wellmedicated

 Dick Bruna cover from Bruna's great set by juliensart on flickr

 Mas Negro que la Noche movie poster, 1975, thanks to Martin Klasch

Frans Haacken illustration from Peter und der Wolf, 1958, thanks to Arthur van Kruining

 Emanuel Schongut cover, 1960s

 Pablo Amargo poster

Los gatos con Mercè, Yolanda Mosquera

Cheap Thrills

 Evil Bunny, c. 1930’s, waxed, painted buckram with cotton tie

Phyllis Galembo is an American photographer and professor

who for the past 20 years has been documenting ritual costumes,

masks and masquerades across Africa and Latin America.

From the impressive and extensive portfolio showcased on her website,

this is a small sample of a series of charming and strangely spooky 

vintage Halloween costumes ranging from the 19th century to the 1960s.

 They were part of Dressed for Thrills: Halloween and Masquerade Costumes,

an exhibition originally hosted at F.I.T. Museum, New York in 2003.

Bongo Bear, c. 1930’s / early-1940’s, cotton flannel costume, buckram mask, 

Spotlite Costume manufactured by A.S.Fishbach, NYC.

Big Bad Wolf, c. 1939, painted buckram mask, cotton shirt and pants, 

cotton-covered wire tail, manufactured by A.S. Fishbach, NYC.

Hep Cats, early 1950’s, rayon jumpsuits, plastic mask (one with bells),
manufactured by Ben Cooper. 

Red Riding Hood, c. 1941, cotton skirt with printed illustrations of Red Riding Hood story
trimmed with gold ribbon, cotton cake, manufactured by Collegeville Costumes. 
Brown Bear, c. 1940's, painted buckram mask with cotton jumpsuit, manufacturer unknown.

Polish Papers

One of the folk crafts that I love the most is decorative papercutting,

an art form which has evolved into various unique styles in different areas of the world. 

From Chinese Jan Zhi to Swiss and German Scherenschnitte, to Mexican Papel Picado,

I enjoy them all, and hope in time to feature each style on Animalarium.

Image from the beautiful Polish blog Cebrita.

Polish Wycinanki is one of the most colorful and charming papercutting traditions.

They became popular around the mid-1800's, and were used by peasants 

to decorate the whitewashed walls, furniture and wooden ceiling beams of their cottages, 

or to give as gifts. The intricate decorations are formed by multiple layers of colored paper 

which are folded, cut, torn, and sometimes embossed to create stylized patterns. 

The subjects represented are peacocks, roosters and other birds, 

as well as flowers and annual festivities. 

Styles vary by region; the most basic is the single color tradition from the Kurpie district.

The multicolor Lowicz Wycinanki developed in the more prosperous region west of Warsaw. 

These elegant, elaborately cut and arranged paper overlays were displayed tandem style 

over the windows, doorways, and walls of rural homes.  

image from Lowicz Wycinanki gallery at www.perfekt.krakow.pl

Design from Kickcan and Conkers.

One of the few books about Wycinanki available on amazon. 

A contemporary Wycinanki inspired decoration by Grzegorz Wacławek

from Lou et Tom, a lovely blog about the adventures of a French family in Poland.

 Wycinanki Bird Cards at Pressbound.

A Gathering of Birds by Wycinanki artist Susan L. Throckmorton 

 Typographic Wycinanki illustration at Cebrita.

Nothern Soul

Klaus Haapaniemi

It's time to dedicate a post to two favorite Finnish folk inspired artists-designers: 

Sanna Annukka and Klaus Haapaniemi. Both work as illustrators with the award winning

 graphic design studio and agency Big Active. You are likely to have met them before, 

since they have been very busy creating beautiful, magical designs for prints, 

fabrics, cards and much more... 

Klaus Haapaniemi, throw  from his first signature collection

Sanna Annukka for Marimekko

Klaus Haapaniemi, plate from the Taika series for Iittala

Sanna Annukka, cd packaging for Keane's Under the Iron Sea

Klaus Haapaniemi, Rabbit limited edition letterpress print for Wilkintie

Sanna Annukka, Call of the Cuckoo print

Klaus Haapaniemi, Oravat

Sanna Annukka, Soul Bird wooden sculpture

Klaus Haapaniemi, Peacocks from his signature collection for Cacharel

Sanna Annukka, Sunbird postcard at 1973

I love this warm and friendly Finnish folk vibe, it's just what I needed 

to put me in the Christmas spirit... now, I'm ready for some snow!