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“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68
“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68

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“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの幽霊), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese First‑Release B2 Poster, Late 1948 for 1949 Japanese Premiere, Ultra Rare — B2 Size (approx. 51 × 73 cm) O68

Sale price $5,450.00

Acquired from one of the largest private collectors in Japan, this first‑release Japanese B2 is revered within the country’s horror community—so much so that it’s featured on page 1 with a full‑page plate in the canonical reference SF Kaiki Eiga Poster Collection (1949–1964) (see reference image). Outside of that book, the only other example we’ve ever seen was in the National Film Archive of Japan. A true holy grail and a Japan Poster Shop first.

Printed at the end of 1948 for the 1949 Japanese debut, this poster carries the round MPEA (Motion Picture Export Association) seal at upper left—an emblem used in the immediate post‑war years (from 1946) when the MPEA distributed American films in occupied Japan. Because of post‑war paper shortages, many posters from this era are in a B3 format and were printed in far fewer numbers. 

About the film

Universal’s fourth Frankenstein entry (1942), directed by Erle C. Kenton, stars Lon Chaney Jr.—in his first outing as the Monster—alongside Bela Lugosi (as Ygor), Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein) and Lionel Atwill (Dr. Bohmer). Ygor plots to have his brain transplanted into the Monster’s powerful body, propelling the saga into new, macabre territory.

Poster design

A magnificent, painterly portrait of Chaney’s Monster dominates the sheet—glowing sickly green against a stormy sky—his clawed hand reaching forward as a cemetery and fortress loom below. The scarlet Japanese title lettering slashes across the top, with the English title anchoring the base. The presence of the MPEA seal at upper left and the immediate post‑war palette lend the piece unmistakable period authenticity.

Why collectors prize this example

  • Earliest Japanese release poster for the title, issued right after WWII.

  • MPEA‑era printing (late 1948 for 1949 release).

  • Documented: page‑one placement and full‑page reproduction in the key Japanese horror poster book.

  • Museum‑level rarity: among the very few B2s known to surface in the past two decades.

  • Provenance: from a top‑tier Japanese horror collection.

Conservation

Professionally conserved to museum standards. Two tiny edge tears (additional imagery provided) were expertly mended using traditional washi paper restoration—a centuries‑old Japanese technique originally developed for repairing Buddhist sutras and woodblock prints. Hand‑torn kozo‑fibre washi and reversible, pH‑neutral wheat‑starch paste were used, yielding strong, flexible, and nearly invisible repairs that respect the original fibers.

Details

Country: Japan
Year printed / release: Late 1948 printing for 1949 first Japanese release
Type: Theatrical release poster (B2) — first‑release, post‑war MPEA issue
Size: B2 — approx. 51 × 73 cm (20" × 29")
Identifiers: Circular MPEA seal at upper left; English title at foot; Japanese title フランケンシュタインの幽霊 across top.

Condition

Excellent. Colours richly saturated. Two minute tears now stabilised with washi (museum method); light general handling; gentle age toning and speckling to verso consistent with paper of the period. No paper loss; presentation is crisp and striking. Please review the provided photos (front and back) — they show the exact poster offered.

It is over 75 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.

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