Original 1968 Grateful Dead Art being Auctioned by Psychedelic Art Exchange

The Psychedelic Art Exchange is auctioning, THE LOST ORIGINAL ART that was used to create one of the most famous 1960’s Grateful Dead concert posters

BALTIMORE, MD, US, June 16, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Premier online concert poster auction, Psychedelic Art Exchange is auctioning, THE LOST ORIGINAL ART that was used to create one of the finest 1960’s concert posters in our upcoming June 2021 Mega Sale Auction that ends on June 17 @ 9:00 PM.

Alton Kelley’s “Sore Thumb,” tells the story of the Carousel Ballroom, a short-lived, 3000 seat dance hall, in the heart of San Francisco that would later become Bill Graham’s famed Fillmore West.

The Carousel Ballroom was a coalition of 1960's San Francisco rock bands that included The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. The Carousel venture was short-lived due to a myriad of circumstances but primarily because the operation lacked the essential business skills to succeed. Bill Graham at the time was looking to move to a larger venue. When the Carousel did close, he quickly took over the lease and renamed the venue THE Fillmore West.

The Sore Thumb poster was created for a March 1968 Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead concert at the Carousel. Only 500 copies were ever printed.
The creator of the poster, Alton Kelley, was one of San Francisco’s “Big Five” concert poster artists. Kelley and his partner Stanley Mouse were fixtures of the San Francisco psychedelic culture and were frequently commissioned by the Grateful Dead to create album covers and related artwork.

This artwork is surfacing after decades in a private collection. The piece has excellent provenance. We have been told that Kelley lost the art in an unpaid storage locker in Boston decades ago. The piece’s owner acquired the art in the mid ‘90’s from a respected concert poster dealer. It has been in the collection of the current owner ever since.

Original poster art is incredibly rare and valuable, pieces of this pedigree seldom come up for public sale. The values of the posters themselves have been exploding in recent months so we expect the art to follow. We at PAE believe this piece represents an unrepeatable opportunity for collectors. When compared to the super-hot original comic book art market ,the quantity of Concert Poster art is minuscule. Pieces like this seldom come to market. We encourage all serious collectors to register for our auction that starts on June 8th and closes on June 17th, 9:00 PM ET.

Glen Trosch
Psychedelic Art Exchange
+1 410-464-6180
email us here