Remarkable Early 20th Century Macabre Photograph – Witch, Devil, Skeleton & Grotesque ImageryAn extraordinary vintage photographic print depicting an elaborate macabre artistic scene filled with a witch or sorceress, devil, human skeleton, grotesque central figure, rodents, serpent, spider/web imagery, skull/death motifs and other unusual details.The scene appears to depict a large hand-rendered decorative panel, mural, theatrical backdrop or artistic installation photographed in situ. Vertical divisions visible in the composition may represent separate panels or sections of the original artwork.
Based on the photographic format, subject matter and material with which it was discovered, I believe the photograph dates approximately to the 1910s–1920s, although an exact date, photographer and location have not been conclusively established.Possible Greenwich Village / New York connection:Research into the image has revealed similarities to the deliberately theatrical and macabre artistic culture surrounding Greenwich Village restaurants, tearooms, artists\' clubs, costume balls and theatrical events during the 1910s and 1920s. Establishments of the period included The Green Witch, The Bat, Pirate\'s Cave/Pirate\'s Den and numerous other artist-decorated Village venues.
Contemporary sources document similarly unusual macabre and fantasy interiors in Greenwich Village during this period. However, the location shown in this photograph has not been positively identified, and no attribution to a particular establishment or photographer is being represented as fact.Of particular interest is what appears to be an early camera incorporated into the artwork above the central figures, suggesting that the composition itself may have had a satirical or artistic meaning beyond simple Halloween decoration.The photograph was discovered among a larger collection of early family photographs and period material dating into the early 20th century.
Photograph: vintage photographic print with blank, unmarked reverse. No photographer\'s stamp or written identification is present.Despite extensive research, I have not located another example of this exact image. This does not establish that the photograph is unique or unpublished, but its precise subject remains unidentified.An unusually evocative piece of early American macabre imagery worthy of further research and preservation. Particularly interesting for collectors of early photography, Greenwich Village/NYC history, bohemian culture, occult and macabre imagery, theatrical history, Halloween imagery and early 20th-century American vernacular photography.
Condition: Antique photograph with age-related wear, surface variation, creasing/lines and other signs of age as visible in the photographs. Reverse is blank. Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.Sold as an unidentified historical photograph. No attribution to a specific photographer, artist, restaurant or location is guaranteed.
Related Items:
Antique c1920 Macabre Witch Devil Skeleton Photo NYC Greenwich Village?
$895.00
ANTIQUE c1920s ISLETA PUEBLO INDIAN FOOD BOWL - EARLY CLASSIC DESIGN
$225.25
Antique c1920 Puebla Mexico Barbon Conquistador Carved Wood Dance Mask
$595.00
