Lenny Bruce Poster
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Bill Graham's early productions always offered the audience more than musical entertainment. Lenny Bruce's appearance here was daring, although more pathetic than powerful, and is memorable because it was his last performance before he died.
The 1st printing is on vellum with union logo 72 in the lower left corner just to the left of "Ticket Outlets." This pre-concert poster measures 14" x 20".
The 2nd printing, also on vellum with union logo 72, has "13" faintly scratched into the ink below "Santa Rosa" and to the left of the "Wes Wilson" credit. This poster measures 14" x 20" and was printed after the concert.
The 3rd printing A is also on vellum, but lacks the union logo and the "13". This post-concert printing measures 13 7/8" x 20". This is known as the 3rd printing in The Collector's Guide to Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters, Postcards, and Handbills 1965-1973 by Eric King.
The 3rd printing B is on uncoated index and also lacks both the union logo and the "13", but displays a lighter purple and orange than the previous printings. It measures 13 7/8" x 20" and was also printed after the concert. This is known as the 4th printing in The Collector's Guide to Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters, Postcards, and Handbills 1965-1973 by Eric King.
The 5th printing is on uncoated matte stock and has "W 2021" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2021 by Wolfgang's in a 250 copy run. This reprint measures 13" x 19".
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.