200810310832

The UCLA Digital Library has a few interesting photos of Halloween in the 1940s. The caption for this one reads: "Stage and crowd at Halloween Slick Chick beauty contest in Anaheim, Calif., 1947." I wonder if Daisy Mae was the winner?

Here's another photo of the Slick Chick contestants, and here's one of children in costumes (including one girl in blackface). (Via Save vs. Death)

  • Takuan

    brings back memories of Scout as “pork”, and Jem and the struggle in the dark…

  • Takuan

    more evidence the Pastafarian Conspiracy had penetrated the public school system even then.

  • airship

    I believe the ‘Sexy Peter Pan’ is actually the Sexy Pied Piper, though why a piper would have a trumpet is beyond my ken. Still, she has my heart.

    Especially if she’s a redhead. *sigh* So many redheads forever lost to black and white photography.

  • Cool Products

    Wow, @ that “mammy” costume. Ballsy move for a small child.

  • Anonymous

    If you click through to see the photo linked as “children in costumes,” be sure to look at the little girl in the center of the frame. Yes, the one in full blackface.

  • reech

    That chick is indeed slick.

  • scottyboy

    Wow, Gramma’s hot!

  • cenoxo

    The winner and Slickest Chick is smack dab in the middle of your second link, holding the trophy.

    Wonder what became of it and the winner?

  • jahknow

    Yeah, mammy’s politically incorrect by today’s standards, but I’m checking out the young pirates… in position spread across the crowd, ready for their big takedown action.

  • JuliANSR

    these are wonderful. thanks/

  • nicheplayer

    Looks like there were two Daisy Maes. I’m envisioning such an awesome catfight on the award podium….

  • sonk
  • EH

    “…and for the ladies, we carry all of your favorite Halloween costumes. Whether you prefer Sexy Witch, Sexy Peter Pan, Sexy Indian or Sexy Farmgirl, we have it all…and more!”

  • Modusoperandi

    Sobering thought: virtually everybody in that photograph are dead…
    Happy Halloween, everybody!

  • Mojave

    I can’t look at crowd photos like this from the past without scanning the sea of faces for mine, ala Jack Nicholson at the end of the shining.
    That slow zoom into the New Years Eve party was probably the single scariest shot in the film.
    *shudders*

  • Takuan

    @10 this would be the first meme
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FukFMcCFyAo

    followed later by a hep trumpet action version current for the photo.

  • np