Jefferson Airplane Poster
BG023 is the first example of a rock poster to feature band photographs, these by Herb Greene. Wilson's lettering, by now evolved into a more elegant 'blocky' style, reflected his discovery of the work of Vienna Secessionist designer, Alfred Roller. Together again, Jefferson Airplane, with original vocalist Signe Anderson, and the Grateful Dead shared this August billing.
There are two variations of the pre-concert 1st printing.
The 1st printing A is on coarse dull stock and has a lighter purple background. The back of this version will floresce when put under black light. It measures 14 1/4" x 20 1/16".
The 1st printing B is on plain dull stock and has a darker purple and blue background, which varies from lighter to darker throughout the print run. Also during the print run, the clarity of the photographs changed from clear to fuzzy dot screen. This version does not floresce under black light. It measures 14 3/16" x 19 15/16".
The 2nd printing is on navy blue stock that sheens under certain light, has a black Wes Wilson credit, and measures 14 3/16" x 19 15/16". It was printed in 1967, after the concert.
The 3rd printing eliminates the "Wilson" credit and measures 14 1/4" x 20 1/8". It was produced in 1974 in a print run of 5,000.
When the Avalon Ballroom and Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium began to hold weekly dance concerts, Wilson was called upon to design the posters. He created psychedelic posters from February 1966 to May 1967, when disputes over money severed his connection with Graham. Wilson pioneered the psychedelic rock poster. Intended for a particular audience, "one that was tuned in to the psychedelic experience," his art, and especially the exaggerated freehand lettering, emerged from Wilson's own involvement with that experience and the psychedelic art of light shows.