21 Frightening Vintage Halloween Photos You Have to See to Believe

vintage halloween photos
Spooky Vintage Halloween Photos You Need to SeeGetty Images

There's a chill in the air, and we're not just talking about the crisp breeze of fall. Spooky season is officially upon us! Whether you've come here looking for vintage Halloween costume inspiration, ideas for your haunted house, or you just love creepy vintage Halloween photos, you're in the right place.

We've collected some of the most bizarre, ghoulish images we could find to help you get in the Halloween spirit. Most of these photos show Halloween costumes or Halloween traditions through the centuries, but we've also included some pictures that are meant to give you a fright. After all, it's what the season's all about! If you're looking to learn more about the origins of some Halloween traditions, we've included info on some of the slides here. Your friends will love hearing all about why witches wear black hats or the practice of spirit photography. You can also check our writing about the history of Halloween.

If you're looking for even more vintage Halloween inspiration, be sure you bookmark our '70s costume ideas and our '90s Halloween costume ideas. We've also got plenty of scary couples' costume ideas, Halloween costumes for women, Halloween costume ideas for teachers, and Disney couples costumes for adults.


England - Circa 1920

This spooky photograph was taken by photographer William Hope in England. He likely already had the young woman's photo and used a multiple exposure technique to make it seem as if she were floating above the two people sitting. Hope's work was especially popular among bereaved people who wanted to find evidence of their loved ones' continued presence. Although this somewhat deceptive practice was publicly exposed in 1922, he continued to do so. While it may not be a real image of a ghost, it's certainly a frightening work of art!

vintage halloween photos
Science & Society Picture Library - Getty Images

France - Circa 1910

Not much is known about this photo, but according to Getty Images, it was taken in France sometime around 1910. It just goes to prove that long before photo editing software, people were getting creative with photos to make creepy effects.

vintage halloween photos to lose oneaposs head
adoc-photos - Getty Images

Chicago - 1949

Can't you see yourself and your friends rocking this creepy DIY costume for Halloween? This image was taken at the Chicago Art Institute's Halloween Ball in 1949.

RELATED: 75 Best Group Halloween Costumes for Every Type of Crew

vintage halloween photos chicago art instituteaposs halloween ball
Robert Natkin - Getty Images

Circa 1905

This image from the Historic Photo Archive was likely taken in 1905. It should a person (possibly a teacher) wearing a ghost costume in a rural schoolhouse posing behind a table of Halloween decorations including a carved pumpkin and cutouts of witches.

vintage halloween photos halloween 1900
Historic Photo Archive - Getty Images

London - Circa 1865

This creepy image was taken in 1865. It's credited to the London Stereoscopic Company, suggesting that it was probably taken as part of a stage production. Can you imagine turning around in your kitchen to be confronted with the "Pumpkin Visitor," as the image is titled?

vintage halloween photos pumpkin visitor
London Stereoscopic Company - Getty Images

France - Circa 1863

Eugène Thiébault took this uncanny photo of French conjurer Henri Robin in 1863. It was likely a publicity photo for one of Robin's shows. He managed a theatre in Paris and his most well-known illusion was one where a drum on stage would be hit by an unseen ghost.

henri robin, french conjurer with a ghost vintage halloween photos
adoc-photos - Getty Images

Circa 1910

Maybe you've felt just like this after a long day of work or studying! This image from Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis was taken in 1910. It shows a skeleton perched at a desk, appearing to study the biology textbook in front of it.

vintage halloween photos 1910 kirn vintage stock
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

Circa 1938

While it's likely these folks were just headed to a Halloween party in 1938, we can't deny we'd be pretty creeped out if this car pulled up next to us while we were trick-or-treating.

volksbruche, amerika fahrt zur hallowwen party vintage halloween photos
ullstein bild Dtl. - Getty Images

Circa 1900

Artists in the 1900s were having too much fun with double-exposed photos. Case in point: This 1900 photo from the Corbis Historical collection of a ghostly man sitting outside in a suit and bow tie.

double exposure of a man on a chair, ca 1900 vintage halloween photos
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

Circa 1925

We're sure these kids are adorable underneath the masks, but they sure do look ghastly in these old-fashioned ghost costumes. This photo from Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis shows three children dressed up for trick-or-treating circa 1925. Fun fact: Trick-or-treating actually dates back to the Middle Ages!

children dressed up for halloween, ca 1925 vintage halloween photos
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

United States - Circa 1910

Grab your coven and recreate this costume for Halloween! According to History.com, the pointy black hat we associate with witch costumes comes from a style associated with Quaker women in the 1600s.

halloween witches coven vintage halloween
Transcendental Graphics - Getty Images

United States - Circa 1930s

This vintage 1930s Halloween photo shows an eerie-looking figure with a homemade mummy costume. If you're looking to recreate it in 2024, we'd recommend grabbing some white sheets and duct tape or nylon strips.

snapshot a costume for halloween usa photograph 1930s vintage halloween
brandstaetter images - Getty Images

Circa 1880s

The practice of carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween goes all the way back to 1600s rural Ireland. People used to carve turnips, potatoes or other root vegetables and add coals or candles to create makeshift lanterns. When Irish immigrants arrived to the U.S., they started using pumpkins instead. This image of a young boy with a jack-o-lantern was taken in the 1880s.

the jackolantern vintage halloween photos
Sepia Times - Getty Images

Circa 1910

Halloween is a time to flex your unique sense of style. And if yours involves strapping on a pair of skates, a creepy mask, and a shawl like this woman in a 1910 photograph, go for it!

RELATED:Halloween Costumes

a masked woman poses on roller skates, ca 1910 vintage halloween
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

Lexington, Oklahome - Circa 1890

This vintage photograph captured a young woman and five boys dressed up in Halloween costumes circa 1890. It was taken by L. Cranson in Lexington, Oklahoma.

halloween lineup vintage halloween photos
Transcendental Graphics - Getty Images

France - Circa 1920

Imagine how much work went into a costume like this before the days of Amazon! This offbeat cat costume was worn by a man in France circa 1920.

vintage halloween photos man dressed as cat circa 1920 getty images
adhoc-photos/Corbis - Getty Images

California - 1930s

This image by famed photographer Dorothea Lange was taken during a Halloween celebration at the Shafter Migrant Camp in California. This was one of many camps established in California during the Great Depression to house migrants from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas.

halloween party at shafter migrant camp vintage halloween photos
Heritage Images - Getty Images

University of Wisconsin-Madison - 1915

We could imagine this Little Bo Peep costume on a college campus in 2024! This image of a student was taken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1915.

costumed coed at the university of wisconsinmadison, ca 1915 vintage halloween photos
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

Circa 1910

How creepy is this? While it's likely just capturing a person in motion, the blurred man in a shadowy cornfield feels very spooky. This photo from the Corbis Historical Collection was taken in 1910.

RELATED: Halloween Ideas

vintage halloween photos a family hangs out in the shadows of a corn field, ca 1910
Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images

London - Circa 1872

This ghostly photo was probably created with stereoscopic double exposure...or was it? This photo was taken in November 1872.

spectral figure vintage halloween photos
London Stereoscopic Company - Getty Images

New York - 1949

Need a palate cleanser after all those creepy pictures? Here's an adorable one of a father and child carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween in 1949.

making a jackolantern vintage halloween photos
Rae Russel - Getty Images

You Might Also Like