A 1940s Mutoscope pin-up arcade card with a baseball joke for a caption: "SURE. SHOW ME A DIAMOND AND I'LL PLAY BALL." A dark-haired young woman with a sly smile stands with her hands on her hips, leaning forward, in a white short-sleeved top with a green belt, black cuffed shorts and black ankle-strap heels, against a solid bright red ground.
Printed imprints on the front: "A MUTOSCOPE CARD" at lower left, "PRINTED IN U. S. A." at lower right, and a small "© B&B USA" mark at right. The art is not signed on the card. Collector checklists list this title in the 1945 Mutoscope "Artist Pin-Up Girls" set and attribute the art to Zoë Mozert.
Size: approx. 3.25 x 5.25 in (from the scan).
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Historical Context
Zoë Mozert (1907–1993), born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, often served as her own model, using cameras and mirrors to capture the pose. She signed an exclusive calendar contract with Brown & Bigelow in 1941, painted the "Victory Girls" series during the war, and created the poster art for the film The Outlaw. By 1950 she was counted among the "big four" of American pin-up art with Rolf Armstrong, Earl Moran and Gil Elvgren. The "B&B" mark on this card is Brown & Bigelow's.
Mutoscope cards were sold one at a time from coin-operated vending machines in arcades and amusement parks during the 1940s. Most of them carried pin-up art, and the series were issued as named sets through the decade. The 1945 "Artist Pin-Up Girls" set ran to 64 cards. This one carries a baseball theme in its caption.
More vintage paper, Victorian trade cards, antique postcards and US silver dollars are in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl
Condition
Very good. Bright, solid color. A small crease or dent along the top edge near the upper right corner; corners otherwise sharp to slightly soft. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.
About The Printing
This card is printed in halftone: under magnification the color resolves into a regular, even grid of dots, the photomechanical process used for mass-produced cards of the period. The caption and imprints are printed in black. The card is flat, not embossed.
Provenance
From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.
Disclaimer
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