"The Seed," The Charlatans; Red Dog Saloon

"The Seed," The Charlatans; Red Dog Saloon

1965
Designer
George Hunter, American, 1942-
Michael Ferguson, American, 1939-1979
Country
United States
Object
poster
Medium
Offset lithograph
Accession Number
2009.538
Credit Line
Partial gift of David and Sheryl Tippit and partial purchase with Marion G. Hendrie Fund, Florence & Ralph Burgess Trust, and other Denver Art Museum funds

George Hunter and Michael Ferguson, "The Seed," The Charlatans; Red Dog Saloon, 1965
Denver Art Museum Collection: Partial gift of David and Sheryl Tippit and partial purchase with Marion G. Hendrie Fund, Florence & Ralph Burgess Trust, and other Denver Art Museum funds, 2009.538
(c) George Hunter
Photograph courtesy of the Denver Art Museum

Dimensions
height: 14 1/8 in, 35.8775 cm; width: 10 in, 25.4000 cm
Inscription
See image in media tab for more detailed inscription.
Department
Architecture and Design
Collection
Architecture and Design

George Hunter
American, born 1942
Michael Ferguson
American, 1939–1979
The Seed, The Charlatans; Red Dog Saloon
1965
Offset lithograph
Partial gift of David and Sheryl Tippit; partial purchase with Marion G. Hendrie Fund; Florence & Ralph Burgess Trust; and other Denver Art Museum funds, 2009.538

With its old-fashioned style and expressive hard-drawn lettering, this announcement, known as The Seed, was the first to present the graphic look that became a hallmark of the Haight counterculture. Inspired by nineteenth-century circus and theater advertisements, artists Hunger and Ferguson used phrases like "The Amazing Charlatans," and "The Limit of the Marvelous" to enhance the image of the band.

Known Provenance
Partially gifted and partially purchased 2008 from David and Sheryl Tippit by the Denver Art Museum.
Exhibition History
  • "The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965-71" — Denver Art Museum, 3/21/2009 — 7/26/2009