Dennison's Bogie Book
A 1922 Guide for Vintage Decorating and
Entertaining at Halloween and Thanksgiving  

CONDITION: new, softcover, crisp and glossy covers, 33 pages, 2009 republication, size: 5.5x8.5, unabridged, published by Bramcost Publications

Originally published in 1922, this Bogie Book features the following ideas and suggestions for planning and decorating for vintage Halloween celebrations:

• Halloween auction bridge
• party invitations
• from cellar to attic
• where to eat
• supper in the witch's garden (with table layout suggestion)
• table decorations
• the children's good time
• children's party table
• cafeteria supper
• for the large affair
• Halloween games including sailing walnut boats, apple paring charm, blowing out candles, cellar stairs test, and more
• owl and pussy cat party
• the dance (decorations and advertising ideas)
• ceiling decorations, decorative hints, halloween lanterns
• matching partners
• 12 costume ideas including instructions for making (for plans and instructions for more Halloween costumes, please see our Dennison Costume listings)
• decorations for Thanksgiving

Centerpieces, favors and novelty suggestions and ideas fill this book as well as instructions for mounting crepe paper designs, making fringed crepe, sewing crepe, wrapping wires and fluting edges to make each of your projects a success. This book also includes all of the original price lists for the Dennison stock goods (cut-outs, napkins, crepe paper, caps, place cards, gummed silhouettes, etc) -- perfect for the collector of vintage Dennison ephemera.

For Thanksgiving, the book illustrates a table layout and a great novelty idea with instructions for making a Jack Horner pie with little ribbons guests can pull revealing a personalized party favor. Other ideas are given including a pumpkin centerpiece, cup decorations, crepe paper flowers and more.  

From the late 1800s through the 1930s, Halloween parties geared toward adults were very popular. Beginning in 1909 and continuing through 1934, Dennison Manufacturing Company entered the Halloween party niche with their colorful party idea books called "Bogie Books." The first Bogie Book was issued in 1909, the second in 1912 and from that time on, an annual issue was released every year through 1934, with the exception of a brief production interruption during World War I. Each book was filled with colorful examples of party favors, Halloween costumes, decorating ideas, party games, spooky poems and stories.

The Dennison Bogie books featured amazingly creative displays of festooned crepe swags and garland, hanging decorations depicting witches, ghosts, scary pumpkins, black cats and other symbols we associate with Halloween as well as a vast array of games and favors. The Bogie Books were a great source for party planning, each year showing different ideas to match the new products being released by Dennison. They continue to be a great resource for party planning and provide interesting old-time party tips and suggestions. 

Bramcost Publications is your publishing resource for vintage lifestyle books and patterns. Our books/patterns focus on the way our foremothers and forefathers lived, laughed and loved in their everyday lives. Beauty, fashion, millinery, entertaining and handicrafts are the building blocks of our book/pattern offerings with an emphasis on VINTAGE:

• makeup, hairstyling, beauty
• sewing, pattern drafting, fashion design
• knitting and crochet patterns
• millinery, hat construction, hat patterns
• beadwork, jewelry making
• ribbonwork, embroidery, embellishments, quilting
• weddings, bridal interest
• paper dolls, doll books, doll clothes patterns
• Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Valentine?s Day holiday celebrations