Original artwork from Bowman’s 1951 Jets, Rockets, Spacemen set doesn’t surface often anymore, making each appearance a fun new discovery worth sharing. One example, the original 4” × 6” artwork for card #15, “On the Moon,” appeared in Mastro’s November 2000 Fine Sports Auction.
Comparing the painting to the finished card, it’s clear Bowman made very few changes. Aside from adding the familiar white border, the issued card is an almost exact reproduction of the original artwork.
A number of paintings from the set have since come to market, mostly through REA, where they’ve generally sold for around $1,500.
The card itself remains surprisingly tough in top condition. PSA has graded just 64 copies of it, with only a single Gem Mint 10. That lone PSA 10 sold through Probstein Auctions on eBay in October 2024 for $1,302.77. There are usually around 10 copies available on eBay if you’d like to add one to your collection.
Original Mastro Lot Description:
The more important words in the title of this classic set, produced by Bowman in 1951 are “rockets” and “spacemen” This exquisite original painting on heavy board used to produce card number 15, “On the Moon” has all that you could want as a representative example of unique gum card artwork. The scene of spacemen (astronauts) conducting experiments with equipment on the lunar surface with a ladder descending from the landing rocket is eerily prognostic, when viewed against the actual pictures from the moon landings which would occur only 17 years later. Bold striking colors highlight this mini-masterpiece, reminiscent of the Weird Science/Fantasy stories and art of DC comics in the 1950s. Truly one of a kind and, of the genre, one of the finest. 4″ x 6″ Near Mint condition.
Minimum Bid $400
Happy collecting!
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