[Item #5506] Original Concert Poster: Miller Blues Band, Lee Michaels, Congress of Wonders (January 20-21, 1967). Miller Blues Band, Lee Michaels, Congress of Wonders, Victor Moscoso.
Original Concert Poster: Miller Blues Band, Lee Michaels, Congress of Wonders (January 20-21, 1967)

Original Concert Poster: Miller Blues Band, Lee Michaels, Congress of Wonders (January 20-21, 1967)

San Francisco, CA: Family Dog Productions, 1967. First Edition, Second Printing. Single Sheet. A poster (appx. 14" x 20&1/4") announcing a "Dance Concert" with performances headlined by the (Steve) Miller Blues Band, along with Lee Michaels & Congress of Wonders, during January 20-21, 1967 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. The great Spanish-American artist Victor Moscoso (b. 1936) created the artwork & graphics reproduced here, & "Moscoso" in facsimile cursive handwriting is found just below thin red line/ yellow dot lower right border of image, below & mostly to the right of "M" in "BALLROOM" (see image). According to the Talmudic scholarship we have consulted regarding this poster (which is similar in its depth to that of our underground comix from this period), this copy is a second printing, distinguishable exclusively by its slightly longer length from the first printing (20&1/4" vs. just short of 20"). King, FD-44-RP-2, pg. 101. King notes that beginning with this poster, the 44th in the Family Dog series, all reprints mistakenly had "-1" references, as with this copy which has "No. 44-1" printed at lower right margin near corner. King writes: "The central image is a kneeling man in Middle Eastern attire holding a water jug which is pointing downward. Water is flowing from the jug and forming a circle both above and below him. The Hippie culture was fascinated by a wide variety of religious mystics. Among those of interest were the Islamic mystics known as the Sufis who believe that by dancing wildly one can enter a state of ecstasy which will bring one closer to God. This was a rather subtle reference for a psychedelic dance concert poster, but considering that (they) were attended by many people who took drugs to enter a state of ecstasy and dance wildly, a very appropriate one. It must be remembered that although the initial audience for these posters was made up of relatively young people mainly in their mid to late teens and early twenties, the artists themselves were five to ten years older than their audience and accordingly had had more time to accumulate information. This created a situation where a reference in a poster occasionally would go over the heads of some members of the audience. " (pg. 101) Another far-out, earlier example of the psychedelic imagery that would soon come to full blast later that year during the "Summer of Love," in its penultimately rarest (indeed all-but-indistinguishable from its very rarest) contemporary form. From the collection of Dion Wright (b. 1937), a most acclaimed & venerable artiste & sculptor who was at the center of the scene that produced this & the many other iconic posters that symbolize a fabled time & place (see Wright's memoir, Tempus Fugitive, item No. 5008). In our seasoned & sharp-(if sore-)eyed estimation, this poster is in relatively very fine condition with only mild rubbing & a touch of browning to thin, mostly blank lower margins/edges & corners (images & letters all bright & substantially mint or very close to mint); a bit of wear & a few tiny bumps, faint creases at/near edges & corners esp. left corners. This item is too delicate to be rolled & must be shipped flat to assure no damage, therefore extra shipping costs will be required. Very Fine. [Item #5506]

Price: $150.00