I am sometimes asked about reference sources for posters. I recommend the following publications if you can find them:

The Art of Rock by Paul Grushkin (Abbeville Press, 1987). This huge volume is the most comprehensive source for photos of rock posters and anyone who is a fan of rock music--whether they are poster collectors or not--will enjoy looking at this beautiful volume. This book has gone through several editions over the years and has gone in and out of print. You can usually find it via Amazon or other standard internet book sources. If you want to get excited about collecting rock poster art, this is the book you need. Note that as a result of the success of this volume, there have been a couple of spinoffs focussing on particular sub- genres of posters, such as The Art of Modern Rock, etc. Unless you are solely interested in more recent poster art, I recommend starting with the original volume for an excellent overview of 60's and 70s rock poster art.

The Collector's Guide to Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters, Postcards, and Handbills 1965--1973, by Eric King. Eric is well known to poster collectors as one of the "original" poster hounds who started collecting these things almost before the ink was dry. This spiral bound privately published guide covers the Fillmore, Avalon, Grande, and Neon Rose series and reflects a lifetime of scholarly study and meticulous attention to detail. This is a working guide to printing and variant information for the serious collector, not a coffee table book. For information on this guide, contact Eric King at PO Box 9278, Berkeley, CA 94709, or go to his website by clicking here (and tell him I sent you....)

The Art of the Fillmore, published by Acid House Press (Petaluma, CA) in 1997. This book, which was still in print last time I checked, covers the entire Bill Graham series, plus many of the "oddball" Fillmore posters, in considerable photographic detail. Excellent color photos; produced with the collaboration of a number of prominent collectors, it is a worthy addition to your poster library.

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