October Fall Classic
Lot 1003:
Description
The moment when Stanley Miller and Alton Kelley first saw the drawing of a skeleton and roses (in a copy of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam at the San Francisco Public Library) is one of the classic moments of Grateful Dead synchronicity, ever. As Kelley said, “Look at this, Stanley. Is this the Grateful Dead or is this the Grateful Dead?” It was, as Jerry Garcia remarked, “perfect.” They took the image, added lettering and framework decoration, and shazam, had not only a Family Dog poster but also an image that would serve the Grateful Dead for the duration. This piece is Stanley’s black and white variant from the ink test run on the plate. It was his and Kelley’s pattern to keep two or three of these for themselves, a few of which they signed and later traded to one another. Stanley hand-embellished his original silkscreen back in the 1990s, the colors are far sharper and more vibrant than the original. This original poster bears “The Bindweed Press San Francisco” credit in corner and is the one known in Eric King’s poster guide. It was printed on vellum stock. The original print run as well as the second “OP-2” printing both bear “The Bindweed Press San Francisco” credits and are both printed on velum stock. The fact that it is double-signed by Stanley and Kelley makes this an extremely rare item. Poster measures 19 1/2′” x 13 1/2″, frame measures 27″ x 21″.
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