Dennison's Bogie Book
A 1924 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 1924, this Bogie Book features the following ideas and suggestions for planning and decorating for vintage Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations:

• giving a Halloween party
• Halloween card party
• "when east meets west"
• refreshments for the halloween party
• club meeting or church supper
• club party or dinner dance
• planning a Halloween dance
• gay or weird costumes for a Halloween party (for plans and instructions for more Halloween costumes, please see our Dennison Costume listings)
• games and stunts including: eating apples from a string, fatal blow, palmistry, boots without shoes, pumpkin dance for children, bad luck dance and much more
• a fantastic game with rhyming poem where items are passed to guests pretending to be teeth, ears, hands, etc. of a murdered man
• harvest party
• Thanksgiving party

Centerpieces, favors and novelty suggestions and ideas fill this book as well as instructions for making rows of petals or scallops in crepe, making fluted edges, making fringed crepe, and wrapping wires 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.

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. 

Please see images for a sampling of book pages and ideas that can be used for vintage, festive Halloween parties. Be sure to check our other auction listings for more Dennison and Halloween books.

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