As we explored in our previous post, the 1960s was a wild time in our culture. So many new ideas were coming to the forefront. Creativity was explosive, one might even say it was at an all-time high. The music especially was grooving. Much like we’ve already seen in the posters from that era, the 1960s handbills that touted the concerts of the day were ephemeral yet brandishing bold, artistic styles that are still as eye-catching today as they were then. So let’s dive into a few examples of the 1960s handbills in our collection.
Handbills, explained
You might ask, well what is a handbill? Think of them as miniature posters: promotional material that was handed out to potential concert goers. They usually feature all the pertinent information — acts, venue location, show times, sometimes ticket prices too.
Check out this mint Velvet Underground 1960s handbill. It’s got all the psychedelic trappings, with a layered and arguably chaotic design, flowing lines and popping colors. Yet again, it forces the viewer to look closely and in doing so appreciate the art.
Another great example is this Big Brother and the Holding Company handbill. Everything about it is the definition of 1960s. This one features the inimitable Janis Joplin in her heyday. It looks like something straight out of the summer of love (because, uh, it was).
The Bill Graham Collection
One of the more storied promoters of his day, Bill Graham had his hand in an incredible number of historic performances over his career. He was the owner of iconic venues The Fillmore and Winterland Arena, which hosted some of the biggest concerts in San Fransisco during the 60s. He was also the manager of The Grateful Dead. Needless to say, Graham was steeped in the psychedelic scene.
As such, there are plenty of unique 1960s handbills with Graham’s name on them. Check out, for example, the below Jefferson Airplane handbill. It’s a gorgeous representation of the kind of art style that dominated the scene, featuring more designs-within-designs, vibrant colors and interesting typography.
Browse the 1960s Handbill Collection at Bynx
What more can we say about the psychedelic 60s? It really lived up to the hype. Everywhere you look there’s something else to unearth; some new piece of inspiration. There was so much happening, it’s amazing some of these 1960s handbills survived intact. But they did, and we’re lucky to have several of them in the Bynx collection.
Check out more 1960s ephemera in our online store, including our music posters and handbills, as well as other counter-culture goodies.
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