Grateful Dead Poster
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Called "The Mushroom Man," BG216 was one of Singer's most psychedelic posters. The diminutive runner, stripped of his vanities, padded towards the cosmos via the not-so-subtle mushroom portal. Singer himself noted the collage had a "... certain LSD mystique." BG216 was the artist's second of four posters for the Grateful Dead.
The 1st printing poster is identified by a vertical scratch about 1 3/8" long that is 3/4" below the second "D" in "Dead". This original poster measures 13 15/16" x 21 15/16" and was printed before the concert.
The 2nd printing lacks the scratch found in the original. It measures 14" x 22" and was printed after the concert on 9/13/1977 in a run of 3,000.
The 3rd printing is on glossy cover stock and bears a Wolfgang's Vault notation in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2013 by the Bill Graham Archives LLC in a 500 copy run and is larger than the other printings, measuring 22 1/2" x 36".
The 4th printing is on uncoated matte stock and has "W 2021" in the lower right hand margin. It does not include the white border in previous printings. It was printed in 2021 by the Wolfgang's in a 250 copy run. This reprint measures 13" x 21".
The 5th printing is on 80# coated matte stock and has "W 2022" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2022 by Wolfgang's in a 100 copy run. This reprint measures 13" x 21".
The 6th printing is on 80# coated matte stock and has "W 2022" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2022 by Wolfgang's in a 100 copy run. This reprint measures 18 1/2" x 28".
During his Fillmore era, from 1969-1971, Singer created more posters for Graham than any other artist. Singer's posters are notable for his use of collage, incorporating thousands of images clipped from magazines spanning several decades. He developed a format that included a stunning variety of lettering styles, applying them in close relation to the theme or subject of a poster.