Droopy Eyed Nose Goblin and Wide Eyed Doll Mask - B.T. Babbitt, Inc (1940s) - New York City, NY

Produced in the 1940s by B.T. Babbitt Inc. of New York City, this pair of novelty masks — the Droopy-Eyed Nose Goblin and the Wide-Eyed Doll — comes from the company’s set of 12 “Sanitary Masks.”

Babbitt, best known for its soaps, cleansers, and household products, also ventured into whimsical promotional ephemera. These masks, printed on sturdy card with elastic cord, were marketed as “sanitary” — a curious early claim that likely referred to their one-time use, aligning with wartime and postwar public health concerns.

Each mask is vividly lithographed with exaggerated features and humorously grotesque expressions, designed more for comic novelty than costume realism. Surviving examples are scarce, especially with the original manufacturer imprint on the reverse intact, making them an important artifact of both advertising history and the evolution of American paper masks.

Each measures approx. 5" × 6"
Date: 1940s
Issued by B.T. Babbitt Inc., New York City