Scarce and desirable original color poster for Bob Dylan and Joan Baez's US tour held between February and March 1965, featuring the now iconic folk rock artwork of Eric Von Schmidt. In fine condition. Bumps to corners, light toning throughout; overall in fine condition. Paperboard poster, 13.25 x 21.5 inches (33.6 x 54.6 cm.).
In 1965, folk singer and artist Eric Von Schmidt was commissioned to create a painting of Dylan and Baez for their tour, which was to be reproduced on posters and handbills. From the book Positively 4th Street: "Eric attempted to design the illustration & lettering in such a way that neither Baez or Dylan would appear to outshine the other. Joan appeared first (if you're looking left to right) but Dylan appeared higher, so they were each given equal prominence, equal billing." The Richard Waterman photograph serving as the basis of Von Schmidt's design is published in "Positively 4th Street" by David Haju. The artist's stylized “VS” can be seen in the lower left corner of the Toulouse-Lautrec inspired poster.
Dylan was unhappy with his appearance in the painting, and ordered that those that had been distributed be recovered and destroyed—making even the much more common smaller format handbills quite scarce today. The extreme scarcity of the poster can be attributed to the fact that it was utilized for only ten eastern U.S. tour stops between late February and late March, 1965. We are aware of only one known venue printed version of this poster; that being for the November 6, 1965, concert at Connecticut's New Haven Arena. Nevertheless, this classic portrait come to be regarded as one of the iconic images from Dylan's early folk days.
This series of shows marked the “beginning of the end” of the working relationship between Dylan and Baez. It also put a strain on their personal relationship as well, even though Baez would open for Dylan on his eight city tour of Great Britain between April 30th and May 10th. Dylan's star status, increasing eccentricity, his disdain for most members of the press and his upcoming debut as an ‘electric’ artist at July's Newport Folk Festival, all contribute to the valid notion that Von Schmidt's design is, indeed, a vivid documentation of the last remnants of Dylan as a ‘folk’ artist; a sign of the times transition in the ever-changing career of the enigmatic Bob Dylan.
Scarce and desirable original color poster for Bob Dylan and Joan Baez's US tour held between February and March 1965, featuring the now iconic folk rock artwork of Eric Von Schmidt. In fine condition. Bumps to corners, light toning throughout; overall in fine condition. Paperboard poster, 13.25 x 21.5 inches (33.6 x 54.6 cm.).
In 1965, folk singer and artist Eric Von Schmidt was commissioned to create a painting of Dylan and Baez for their tour, which was to be reproduced on posters and handbills. From the book Positively 4th Street: "Eric attempted to design the illustration & lettering in such a way that neither Baez or Dylan would appear to outshine the other. Joan appeared first (if you're looking left to right) but Dylan appeared higher, so they were each given equal prominence, equal billing." The Richard Waterman photograph serving as the basis of Von Schmidt's design is published in "Positively 4th Street" by David Haju. The artist's stylized “VS” can be seen in the lower left corner of the Toulouse-Lautrec inspired poster.
Dylan was unhappy with his appearance in the painting, and ordered that those that had been distributed be recovered and destroyed—making even the much more common smaller format handbills quite scarce today. The extreme scarcity of the poster can be attributed to the fact that it was utilized for only ten eastern U.S. tour stops between late February and late March, 1965. We are aware of only one known venue printed version of this poster; that being for the November 6, 1965, concert at Connecticut's New Haven Arena. Nevertheless, this classic portrait come to be regarded as one of the iconic images from Dylan's early folk days.
This series of shows marked the “beginning of the end” of the working relationship between Dylan and Baez. It also put a strain on their personal relationship as well, even though Baez would open for Dylan on his eight city tour of Great Britain between April 30th and May 10th. Dylan's star status, increasing eccentricity, his disdain for most members of the press and his upcoming debut as an ‘electric’ artist at July's Newport Folk Festival, all contribute to the valid notion that Von Schmidt's design is, indeed, a vivid documentation of the last remnants of Dylan as a ‘folk’ artist; a sign of the times transition in the ever-changing career of the enigmatic Bob Dylan.