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Bill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service

Poster
1970 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithograph
Brief description
"Bill Graham Presents Quicksilver Messenger Service" psychedelic poster #242 by David Singer, USA, 1970
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'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 53.4cm
  • Width: 35.5cm
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)
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
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.
Other numbers
  • LS.884 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
  • # 242 - Poster number
Collection
Accession number
E.481-2004

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Record createdAugust 15, 2006
Record URL
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