1943 "Hotcha Girls" Mutoscope Pinup Cards Complete Set (65) Including Scarce "My Diver's License?" Card

Sold For:

$2,280

Year:

1943

Auction:

2018 Fall

Lot #:

2534

Category:

Non-Sports Cards/Sheets/Card Artwork

Presented is a complete set of "Hotcha Girls" Mutoscope cards, consisting of sixty-five 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. Included among the cards found in this set is an Excellent condition example of one of nonsport-card collecting's most legendary rarities, “My Diver’s License.” Apparently, this card was too risqué for kids at the time and was pulled from future printings as a result, to be replaced with a card entitled “Golden Hours” (also included in this set), which ironically had a much more provocative image of a woman. Seventeen of the cards in this set display a penciled price on the reverse. Without reference to the pencil marks, the condition of the set is 15% Ex-Mt to Nr/Mt, 45% Ex, 26% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 14% lesser (mostly due to back damage and including two with color added). This is a very attractive and particularly scarce complete set of this classic 1940s pinup series. Total: 65 cards.



Reserve $200. Estimate (open).