Country Joe and the Fish; Moby Grape; Michaels, Lee; Kelley, Alton; Mouse, Stanley

Original Concert Poster: Country Joe and the Fish, Moby Grape, Lee Michaels (December 30-31, 1966)

San Francisco, CA: Family Dog Productions, 1966. First Edition. Single Sheet. A poster (appx. 14" x 20") announcing a series of two New Years' Eve concerts headlined by Country Joe (McDonald) & the Fish, along with Moby Grape & Lee Michaels, during December 30-31, 1966 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. The acclaimed American artist Stanley Mouse (b. Stanley George Miller, 1940) created the artwork & graphics reproduced here, in collaboration with the noted American poster & album cover artist Alton Kelley (1940-2008, known as "Kelley"), & "(mouse logo) Mouse/Kelley" in facsimile black hand-illustration & lettering is found just outside lower right side border of image at orange background (see image). According to the Talmudic scholarship we have consulted regarding this poster, it is a second printing, distinguished by "code No. 41 (2)" above "Ticket Outlets" at lower left margin & the Family Dog address of "639 Gough St.,..." at lower right margin below "Avalon" & "San Franciso." (see image) King, FD-41-RP-2, pg. 96. King writes: The central image is a Spanish galleon viewed from the rear. It is sailing on a sea taken from a Japanese woodblock print. The effect of this unusual juxtaposition is actually quite pleasing visually. There are sea gulls flying around the ship and fish jumping out of the water across the stern. This is the first original printing poster in the series to bear the correct number in the Family Dog sequence, and the reprint is the last to bear the correct reprint designation. After this point all reprints incorrectly bore the designation "-1." " King has simply & appropriately entitled this poster "Ship." We note that the out-of-sequence appearance of this poster among our offerings was due to our being thrown off by the "(c) 1967..." designation at publisher's address reference, & the date of "1967" at the ship's stern, which we interpreted as bidding adeiu to that year, rather than welcoming it. We're sorry for the mistake. A bold & inspired exemplar of the emerging Mouse-Kelley psychedelic style from the cusp of the year of the "Summer of Love," in its penultimately rarest & singularly unique (see above King commentary) 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 iconic posters that symbolize a legendary time & place. In our sharp-eyed (all's well that ends well in this one case) & seasoned estimation, this poster is in relatively quite especially very fine condition with only two very small areas of smudging from middle-left edge onto blank orange background (see image, most probably a minimal flaw as issued); a touch of wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners- the entire central recto image appears completely 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 #6229]

Price: $120.00