Grateful Dead, Big Mama Thornton 1966 Fillmore Poster

A 1966 concert poster with Grateful Dead, Big Mama Thornton on the bill at the Fillmore.

About The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965 and became famous for long, improvised live shows. Grateful Dead posters and album art, from skeletons and roses to dancing bears, are central to psychedelic design. Poster artists such as Wes Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Stanley Mouse and Rick Griffin defined the San Francisco psychedelic style. This poster advertised a 1966 show at the Fillmore. The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco became the heart of the 1960s rock scene under promoter Bill Graham. Some 1960s concert posters were designed so the lettering was deliberately hard to read, inviting a second look.

Styling this Grateful Dead concert poster

This 1966 poster for Grateful Dead, Big Mama Thornton brings a slice of 1960s music history to the wall. At 24×36″ it becomes a statement piece, while 11×14″ or 12×18″ fits shelves, desks and gallery walls. A black or antique-gold frame suits this Grateful Dead concert poster well and keeps the focus on the image. Build a gallery wall around this Grateful Dead concert poster: add two or three smaller prints that echo its colours and keep the gaps to 2–3 inches.

At a glance

• Type: Grateful Dead concert poster
• Band: The Grateful Dead
• Venue: Fillmore Auditorium
• Year: 1966
• Style: Vintage concert posters
• Collections: Grateful Dead Posters, Vintage Concert Posters