Concert promoter Chet Helms is considered the Father of the Summer of Love. He was a free-spirited, mellow guy who fit in with the musicians and artists of the late 1960s. He was the first to produce impressive light shows at the Fillmore, then operated the Avalon Ballroom, and served as Big Brother and the Holding Company’s manager.
During his career, Helms found ways to bring great music to audiences through jam sessions, multi-act events, dancehall shows, and concerts at some of the most popular venues in San Francisco. His promotional work and collaboration with talented artists led to Family Dog Productions and one of the most popular collecting avenues for concert poster collectors.
Helms and the Family Dog’s use of psychedelic posters became the symbol of the time. From 1966 to 1968 they commissioned a series of 147 numbered posters, typically made for the Avalon.
The initial print runs were made before the concerts and were small, usually about 300 posters. As the concerts and posters gained popularity the print run was increased to 1,000 and later even more. With the influx of desirability, Family Dog also issued second and third printings.
The complete series is numbered FD-1 through FD-147. It began as posters and handbills on FD-1 through FD-41, then continued with posters accompanied by printed postcards, instead of handbills, and image tickets.
The entire series depicts beautiful, noteworthy artwork from the best artists and graphic designers of the time, and several are now on the top of collectors’ lists. One such example is FD-1 the first in the Family Dog series, and a first printing is now offered in Hake’s auction. Known as the “Tribal Stomp,” the poster was made for a Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company concert at the Fillmore Auditorium.
Another incredible poster in Hake’s current auction is a rare Janis Joplin concert poster. Made for a 1969 concert at the Canterbury House, the poster is based on the iconic Bob Seidemann photograph.
Hake’s is selling many concert posters in Auction #227, advertising acts from Duke Ellington to Radiohead. The auction is open now and is set to close on July 10-11, 2019.