Large Fierce Mammal

Click to enlarge, (Source: http://theghostdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Vampire-kit-letter.jpeg)

The label above would have been included with one of the ornately turned out and beautifully boxed kits consisting of masterfully crafted weapons and accessories created for defense against, and if necessary the destruction of, vampires, that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Timing and anecdotal evidence suggest, although fall far short of proving, that the catalyst for this brief craze was the publication in 1897 of Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, Dracula, and that the target market was the credulous traveller to eastern Europe. A few such kits have appeared that predate Dracula, however Stoker didn’t invent vampire lore but rather borrowed from it and put his own delightful spin on the rest.

Although the market represented by the easily conned cannot be underestimated, I tend to agree with the good folks at The Ghost Diaries who, in their article titled Real Vampire Hunter Kits From The 1800s, suggest that such kits were, “More likely intended as souvenirs for rich novelty collectors ….” but, well bugger that though because I would personally like to collect the entire set, as it were because they are as darkly neat as all get out. That being said, I’m not a rich novelty collector by any stretch of the imagination. If you are though, keep reading, for this is the date of an auction event called Danse Macabre, hosted by New Jersey based auction house, Sterling Associates, and they are including two vampire kits listed as Lots number 337 and 338.

You can get a sense of the sheer magnitude of the kit listed as Lot 337 by watching this Danse Macabre preview:

I’ll lead you out through a display of some of my favourite finds among these wondrously odd accoutrements that include vials for the usual remedies against the forces of evil, ornate stakes, blades, an assortment of silver bullet slinging firearms, and naturally, no end of Christian iconography because, as we all know, nothing slows down a vampire faster than a crucifix. Unless watermarked Sterling Associates, credit for the following images goes to The Ghost Diaries. As usual, clicking any image will enlarge it for a better view.