FD-12 Grateful Dead, Quicksilver 1966 Avalon Concert Poster Signed by Wes Wilson, Graded a Unique 9.8....

Description

FIRST USE OF A SKELETON ON A GRATEFUL DEAD POSTER

FD-12 Grateful Dead, Quicksilver 1966 Avalon Concert Poster Signed by Wes Wilson, Graded a Unique 9.8. First-printing San Francisco concert poster for the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the New Tweedy Brothers playing at the Avalon Ballroom on Friday and Saturday nights, June 10 & 11, 1966. Known as FD-12 in the Family Dog numbered series, this popular and charismatic poster is nicknamed "The Quick & The Dead"... just like it says across the top. This poster was designed by the legendary Wes Wilson and has been signed by Wes in pencil down by his printed name. It was then graded to a bone-rattling 9.8 Near Mint/Mint by CGC (the Certified Guaranty Company). This is the single highest-graded copy of this poster signed by Mr. Wilson that exists; no other 9.8's or higher, signed by Wes, have been certified by CGC.

This poster represents a historic first for Grateful Dead fans, and as usual with early Family Dog posters, it was a collaboration between FD head Chet Helms and artist Wilson. As the centerpiece for the poster, Chet found this riveting little cartoon of a skeleton dressed up in fancy clothes and ready to go out on the town. Not only does it mark the first appearance of a skull or skeleton on any Grateful Dead FD or BG concert poster, it's likely the first-ever appearance, period. For this, Helms and Wilson should get a lot of credit. The Family Dog wouldn't pick up that theme again until FD-26 Skeleton & Roses, and Bill Graham's artists wouldn't touch it for 2 ½ years, until Lee Conklin finally threw a skull onto his BG-152 Grateful Dead poster at the end of 1968. That makes this poster's art a real groundbreaker of sorts.

Either way, it's a delightful and popular piece that people hardly ever get rid of; thus, it's the first Quick & the Dead poster that Heritage has offered in eight years, and the first-ever graded. To top it all off, this poster is a "population 1 of 1" in 9.8 with Wilson's signature. Thus, this is a great opportunity. Measures 14 3/16" x 20". COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: The most serious of Family Dog poster collectors and specialists have managed to track down the origin of most images appropriated for all the early FD posters, including Skeleton & Roses, but this one still eludes them. Was it an early 20th century, or even 19th century, cigar ad? Or a figure from a comic book? Or... ? Someday, somebody will find it somewhere, and then we'll all know.


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