16 Straight-Up Scary Photos Of Halloween Costumes From The 1950s

With Halloween just around the corner, I got curious about what people did before Spirit Halloween. How did they dress up? Well, the answer is horrifying, and here are 16 photos from the Getty Archive, all from the '40s—'70s, and they're sending shivers down my spine.

1. This Big Bad Wolf, whose plastic fangs are coming off as highly unfriendly.

2. These...somethings...who I'm not going to interrupt and back away slowly from.

3. This Little Bo Peep with a REAL DUCK as part of her costume???? It raises so many questions for me.

4. This kiddo whose bird costume with real feathers kind of freaks me out. It's not that it's terrifying in a conventional sense; it just looks hot and itchy, and I've always been told never to touch bird feathers, so some childhood memories are coming into play as well.

5. These three kids, whose outfits I'm not 100% sure of. I'm pretty sure the far right is a pirate, but that's about all I can guess.

6. This bunny who looks like he has some evil mischief behind those eyes.

7. These kids who probably epitomized Halloween back then, but if they were to walk around in those costumes now, everyone would be frightened.

8. This pig that feels a little too Halloween Horror Nights for a neighborhood Halloween party.

9. This person dressed as an elf, I'm hoping somewhere in the Northwest or New England states. Growing up with Halloweens in Florida, I would melt in that.

10. This Johnny Astro with the big soulless eyes. The Tin Man and princess don't bother me as much for some reason, though.

11. These kids who are conflicting me. The mom part of me thinks these costumes are really creative and well done for the kiddos. The cynic in me says I'd walk a little faster if they were walking behind me.

12. These ghosts that I would simply not answer the door for, despite their cute voices saying "trick-or-treat."

13. This "bunny" with a mask that only covers half of their face, making it the scary hybrid I didn't know I didn't need.

14. This witch, Mickey Mouse, and Banana Splits who look like they're going to rob me.

15. This little girl who isn't that scary, but the Mickey Mouse mask and extraordinarily disgruntled pumpkin bucket are enough to give me minor goosebumps.

16. And finally, this clown with lasagna-looking hair that I will randomly see in the corner of every dark room for the rest of my life.

Do you look back on a Halloween costume from when you were a kid and cringe? Share it (and a photo if you have it) in the comments below!