Quicksilver Messenger Service; Mount Rushmore; Big Brother and the Holding Company; Horns of Plenty; Moscoso, Victor; Hillyard, Roger; van Meter, Ben

Original Concert Poster: Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mount Rushmore, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Horns of Plenty (June 29- July 2, 1967)

San Francisco, CA: Family Dog Productions, 1967. First Edition. Single Sheet. A poster (appx. 14" x 20&1/8") announcing a "Dance Concert" with performances by Quicksilver Messenger Service, along with Mount Rushmore, Big Brother and the Holding Company & Horns of Plenty, during June 29- July 2, 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 at lower right blue side margin just outside pink-orange border (see image). Also credited for "Lights" is "The North American Ibis Alchemical Co.," a memorably named incarnation of Roger Hillyard, Ben van Meter & their associates. Hillyard (b. 1942) was highly involved with the exemplary psychedelic light shows of this era, later became the proprietor of a popular coffee shop, & most recently the practicing resident of a Zen Buddhist center- all in San Francisco. Van Meter (b. 1941) was also a major light show producer & experimental filmmaker at this time, & still engages in cutting-edge creativity as of this writing. According to the hair-splitting Talmudic scholarship regarding this poster, this copy is a first printing, distinguishable solely by the absence of "...a 1/16" dark blue dot located in the third pink line from the left about 3/8" up from the bottom edge" (again see our image). King, FD-68-OP-1, pg. 136. King writes: "The central image is a yin yang symbol formed by the lettering." We note that the combination of the yin-yang structure, & Moscoso's devilishly tricky-trippy lettering style that reached its apex here, make this the most dizzyingly hard-to-decipher among all we offer or have seen, a real challenge to the eye & mind (in whatever condition...). A stunning apotheosis of the Moscoso psychedelic style as the "Summer of Love" was reaching its peak, in its very rarest contemporary form. From the collection of Dion Wright (b. 1937), a most respected artiste & sculptor who was at the center of the scene that produced this & the many other outstanding posters that symbolize a legendary time & place (see wright's memoir, Tempus Fugitive, item No. 5008). In our sharp & seasoned (albeit "dazed & confused" as the lyric goes) estimation, this poster is in relatively very fine condition with only a touch of wear & some tiny bumps, faint creases at edges & corners. The entire printed recto surface appears bright & substantially mint. 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 #5806]

Price: $750.00