Lot # 2814: 1944 "Follies Girls" Mutoscope Pinup Cards Complete Set (32)

Presented is a complete set of "Follies Girls" Mutoscope cards consisting of thirty-two cards. In the style of Exhibit cards of the era, from 1940 to 1945 the Mutoscope Reel Company issued cards featuring beautiful pinup artwork by the top illustrators of the day, for sale in penny arcade machines. The public's appetite for pinup art exploded during this era, with images by artists such as Gil Elvgren, Zoe Mozert, and Earl Moran appearing on everything from matchbook covers to ink blotters to calendars. Fortunately, youngsters were not left out of this impressive production of printed matter, as the Mutoscope Company made these (for the times) very risqué images available to kids throughout the land at amusement parks and anywhere arcade machines could call home. A total of six different series were issued during this period, with 1944's installment, "Follies Girls," the rarest of the sets. Included among the cards found in this near-complete set are four with sports themes, which makes them extra popular among collectors: Hit and Miss (baseball), Net Results (tennis), Plenty on the Ball (golf), and See-Worthy (boating). Included is a variation of "Glovely" (Vg) that displays a promotional advertisement for the "Follies Girls" series on the reverse. The condition of the set is four Nr/Mt, eight Ex-Mt, sixteen Ex, three Vg-Ex, and one Vg. This is a very attractive and particularly scarce complete set of this classic 1940s pinup series. Total: 33 cards (set of 32 plus one back variation).