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Poster - Bill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service

Bill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service

  • Object:

    Poster

  • Place of origin:

    United States (made)

  • Date:

    1970 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Singer, David, born 1941 (artist)
    Graham, Bill, born 1931 - died 1991 (issued by)
    Tea Lautrec Litho (printers)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Colour offset lithograph

  • 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

  • Museum number:

    E.481-2004

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C, case 3G, shelf DR17

David Singer produced 66 posters for Bill Graham and the Fillmore Auditorium (a legendary music venue in San Francisco, California). He was also the last artist to produce an original series for the Fillmore. Singer's designs employ diverse collaged elements, drawn from both photographic and printed sources, to produce fantastic and often surreal scenes.

Physical description

Psychedelic poster advertising a concert for Quicksilver Messenger Service. A photomontage of different elements including a jumping figure, a still image of a droplet as it splashes onto the surface of a liquid, and a photograph of a total eclipse of the sun showing the sun's corona. The black and white montage is set within a blue border, on which the event details are printed in black, stylised letters, above and below the image. The text reads, 'Bill Graham Presents in San Francisco, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mott the Hoople, Silver Metre, Brotherhood of Light. July 9-10-11-12 Fillmore West'.

Place of Origin

United States (made)

Date

1970 (made)

Artist/maker

Singer, David, born 1941 (artist)
Graham, Bill, born 1931 - died 1991 (issued by)
Tea Lautrec Litho (printers)

Materials and Techniques

Colour offset lithograph

Marks and inscriptions

'BILL GRAHAM PRESENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO / QUICKSILVER / MESSENGER SERVICE / MOTT THE HOOPLE / SILVER METRE / BROTHERHOOD OF LIGHT / JULY 9-10-11-12 FILLMORE WEST / SINGER'.
Event and venue details, printed above and below the image, on the blue border, inblack, stylised letters. The artist's name is printed below

'NOW ON SALE AT MACY'S TICKETS ALL MACY'S TICKET OUTLETS / SAN FRANCISCO - CITY LIGHTS BOOKSTORE 261 COLUMBUS AVE - THE TOWN SQUIRE 1318 POLK ST - OUTSIDE IN 2544 MISSION ST OAKLAND - HOLE IN THE WALL 3345 LAKESHORE AVE / BERKELEY - DISCOUNT RECORDS - SHAKESPEARE & CO SAUSALITO - THE TIDES REDWOOD CITY - REDWOOD HOUSE OF MUSIC SAN MATEO - TOWN & COUNTRY RECORDS SAN JOSE - / © BILL GRAHAM 1970 # 242 DISCOUNT RECORDS MENLO PARK - DISCOUNT RECORDS SAN RAFAEL - RECORD KING TEA LAUTREC LITHO - SAN FRANCISCO'
Ticket vendors, printed in stylised black letters at the bottom of the poster n the outer white border

Dimensions

Height: 53.4 cm, Width: 35.5 cm

Descriptive line

"Bill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service" psychedelic poster #242 by David Singer, USA, 1970

Materials

Paper; Ink

Subjects depicted

Corona (astronomical); Solar eclipse; Acrobats; Figure; Sun; Psychedelic art; Music

Categories

Prints; Entertainment & Leisure; Advertising; Posters

Collection

Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection

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