Final Auction Price
*Final prices include buyers premium
$2,760.00
Starting bid: $1.00
This poster is signed in black ink by Stanley Mouse & the late great Alton Kelley!
Having only offered this issue with CGC Grading twice prior we are very excited to present our FIRST SIGNED example of this popular original poster to you! Most examples of this Carousel Dead poster we've seen have the dates at the top crossed out with black magic marker. This example here does not!
The Carousel Ballroom was a short-lived venture by several of the San Francisco bands in managing their own music venue. The experiment which only spanned a few months in 1968 failed due to the bands’ obvious lack of business prowess. That paired with the questionable ethics of one time Dead manager Ron Rakow led to the Carousel Ballroom’s demise. Additionally Bill Graham did not take well to the competition and did everything he could to ensure the venture failed. The fate of the Carousel was that Bill Graham bought the floundering concert hall and renamed it the Fillmore West. Although the Carousel was short lived it inspired a series of posters that are amongst the best of the entire genre of 1960's psychedelic concert posters.
Artist Alton Kelley’s “Memorial” poster announced a three-day run of Grateful Dead shows at the Carousel Ballroom over Memorial Day weekend in ’68. This disturbing yet colorful design illustrates a darker reflection of the national day of remembrance. However disturbing this piece is always on the top of everyone’s Want List! One of the true classic 1960's concert poster images! In February 2018 a same 7.5 graded UNSIGNED example reached $702 in our auction. This signed example here adds special value to this rare piece making it a true collectible. Read our blog dated 1/20/18 where we discuss the skyrocketing demand for signed material such as this lot.
Poster – Grateful Dead Carousel Ballroom
Sub Title – Memorial
AOR #2.160
Grade – CGC 7.5
Bands/Bill – Grateful Dead
Venue – Carousel Ballroom
City – San Francisco California
Date – 5/30/68
Dimensions – 13 15/16” x 22 3/16”
Printing – OP-1 Original Pre-Concert First Printing
Artist – Alton Kelley
Series/Promoter – Carousel
Condition Details – Super clean! No nicks cuts tears or pinholes! Two pieces of framers tape on the top corners on the back a tiny bit of ink loss on the edges. 100% Original with no restoration. Far nicer than the 7.5 grade would lead you to believe. Tape on reverse. View the detailed high res photo of this lot. Click on the thumbnail photo to see an enlarged photo. Click a second time on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the enlarged photo. A super high res image with every millimeter will now be clearly displayed. For a personalized eyewitness examination call 410-464-6180 11:00 am to 6:00pm eastern.
*****This poster is available for inspection at our gallery by appointment. *****