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Bill Graham Presents Butterfield Blues Band

Poster
1970 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

19th-century ‘Wild West’ posters, advertising circuses or medicine shows, were also an important influence for the poster artists of the psychedelic era. The popular idea of the Native American, representing the ‘outsider’, living an simple, communal life, struck a romanticised chord among the hippies, as did the long hair and traditional dress.

Norman Orr was the youngest artist of the Fillmore group, hired in 1970, fresh out of high school, and fascinated by the imagery of the American West. His style combines the essential publicity techniques required to promote the events, with spiritual and political themes. He was particularly interested in the place of the Native American in American culture, and they became a recurring motif in a number of his posters. Here, Orr has combined a number of ‘Wild West’ references; a chief is pictured in a feathered head-dress, and two top-hatted 19th-century figures play guitars. Also included is the curious image of a cherub with a large afro hairstyle. This is, in fact, a portrait of the drummer and blues vocalist, Buddy Miles, who is listed in the line-up. Miles led an eclectic career working with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Mike Bloomfield of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, who headline this event.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBill Graham Presents Butterfield Blues Band (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithograph
Brief description
'Bill Graham Presents Butterfield Blues Band' psychedelic poster by Norman Orr for Bill Graham, USA, 1970
Physical description
Psychedelic poster advertising a concert for the Butterfield Blues Band, Buddy Miles, and Quatermass, printed in black and yellow. The event details fill most of the space, and motifs such as the head of a Native American chief, two bearded guitatists, and a putto with an afro, are incorporated into the poster's design. The lettering reads, 'Butterfield Blues Band, Buddy Miles, Quatermass, Thursday - Sunday December 17, 18, 19, 20, Lights by Orb, 1970 Poster by Orr, © Bill Graham, Incredible String Band, Monday December 14, Wednesday December 16, An Evening In With Ravi Shankar'. The lettering and imagery evoke a sence of 'the wild west'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 53.5cm
  • Width: 35.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'BUTTERFIELD / BLUES BAND / BUDDY MILES / QUATERMASS / THURSDAY - SUNDAY DECEMBER 17 18 19 20, /LIGHTS BY ORB / 1970 POSTER BY ORR © BILL GRAHAM / INCREDIBLE STRING BAND / MONDAY DECEMBER 14 / WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16 / AN EVENING IN WITH RAVI SHANKAR'. (Forms the main design of the poster, in black and yellow stylised lettering)
  • '© COPYRIGHT 1970 BILL GRAHAM NOW ON SALE AT TICKETS ALL MACY'S TICKET OUTLETS / SAN FRANCISCO . FOX PLAZA BOX OFFICE 9TH & MARKET, SUITE 105 . CITY LIGHTS BOOKSTORE, 261 COLUMBUS AVE. . THE TOWN SQUIRE, 1318 POLK ST. . OUTSIDE IN, 2544 MISSION ST. / . BERKELEY . DISCOUNT RECORDS . SHAKESPEARE & CO. . SAUSALITO . THE TIDES . REDWOOD CITY . REDWOOD HOUSE OF MUSIC . SAN MATEO . TOWN & COUNTRY RECORDS . SAN JOSE . DISCOUNT / BILL GRAHAM 1970 - NO. RECORDS . MENLO PARK . DISCOUNT RECORDS . SAN RAFAEL . RECORD KING TEA LAUTREC LITHO . SAN FRANCISCO' (Ticket vendors' information, below the main image, white typeface)
  • '#264 BY N. ORR' (Artist's name, printed, lower right corner of image)
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Summary
19th-century ‘Wild West’ posters, advertising circuses or medicine shows, were also an important influence for the poster artists of the psychedelic era. The popular idea of the Native American, representing the ‘outsider’, living an simple, communal life, struck a romanticised chord among the hippies, as did the long hair and traditional dress.

Norman Orr was the youngest artist of the Fillmore group, hired in 1970, fresh out of high school, and fascinated by the imagery of the American West. His style combines the essential publicity techniques required to promote the events, with spiritual and political themes. He was particularly interested in the place of the Native American in American culture, and they became a recurring motif in a number of his posters. Here, Orr has combined a number of ‘Wild West’ references; a chief is pictured in a feathered head-dress, and two top-hatted 19th-century figures play guitars. Also included is the curious image of a cherub with a large afro hairstyle. This is, in fact, a portrait of the drummer and blues vocalist, Buddy Miles, who is listed in the line-up. Miles led an eclectic career working with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Mike Bloomfield of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, who headline this event.
Other numbers
  • LS.841 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
  • # 261 - Poster number
Collection
Accession number
E.447-2004

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Record createdJuly 21, 2006
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