Artist Gary Baseman Releases Halloween Photo Book
The new collection features over 300 vintage photographs documenting the evolution of Halloween costumes.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Scrapbooking
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Artist Gary Baseman has released a new book titled Nightmares of Halloween Past, featuring a curated selection of 300 vintage photographs. Compiled from a broader collection of 2,000 images, the book offers an in-depth look at historical holiday costumes.
Why it matters
The book serves as a historical archive intended to keep memories of past families alive while documenting the evolution of Halloween traditions. It provides a unique visual history of the holiday through the lens of found photography collected over several decades.
The book contains approximately 12 original paintings by Gary Baseman alongside a photo archive spanning 100 years of history. It is available for purchase through Simon and Schuster and the artist's website.
The players
Gary Baseman
An artist based in Los Angeles who creates multi-platform works including fine art, commercial projects, and archival collections.
Phyllis Galembo
A photographer and educator known for documenting cultural traditions and ritual costumes globally.
Catherine Zuromskis
An academic and author specializing in the history of photography and visual culture.
Simon and Schuster
A major American publishing company that handles the distribution and sale of the book.
The details
Gary Baseman assembled the book using photographs sourced from secondhand items found at flea markets, primarily starting in New York. The volume is rounded out by analytical essays written by Baseman, Phyllis Galembo, and Catherine Zuromskis.
Timeline
The vintage photographs in the collection primarily represent the 1920s to the 1940s.
The publication coincides with the Halloween holiday on October 31, 2026.
Culture Shift
This project reflects the broader societal shift toward valuing found vernacular photography as a legitimate archival art form. By documenting the evolution of Halloween costumes, it taps into a growing interest in preserving personal and family histories through historical visual artifacts.
The release provides Los Angeles residents and fans of the artist with a tangible way to engage with a century of holiday history. Readers can purchase the book to adopt these archival themes for their own DIY memory-keeping projects or seasonal collections.
The takeaway
Preserving found photographs can transform discarded items into a valuable historical record of family traditions. Readers interested in archiving their own holiday photos can look to Baseman's work as a template for organizing visual narratives.
Further reading
Discover more techniques and historical inspiration at our Scrapbooking section.
More information
For more information on the volume, visit the publisher book purchase page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Beverly Press & Park Labrea News.
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Do you feel that wearing a costume allows you to better express your true self?
