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A guide to British concert posters and British psychedelic posters by Nick Etheridge

Hapsash posters and Osiris Visions posters - a word of caution about reprints.

The OA and Hapshash posters have been widely copied and unless you are well acquainted with the originals and the many fakes on the marketplace, get some good advice before parting with any money. To paraphrase Brad Rogers, a pioneer in identifying the OA bootlegs –”if you don’t know where it’s been for 50 years or you’re not an expert assume it’s a fake.”

Most fakes seen on the market come from the same original source in the UK and printed up in 80’s or 90’s along with various permutations of story about originating from a newly discovered ‘stash’ usually in an attic of a relative of the printers. 

These still appear regularly on eBay and smaller auction houses. The reproductions have recently been ‘rebranded’ and often labelled as ‘later ‘or 2nd printings from the 1970’s so being offering at a more affordable lower price, but they are in fact nice decorative items only. So, seek either provenance, expert advice or a respected dealer.

None of the bootlegs are true screen prints and look and feel new and generally 20 x 30 in. There is no standard ‘one size fits all’ and all for authentic OA issues and sizes vary slightly across the series and print runs. 

Nearly all surviving Original Hapshash or OA posters are damaged or used in some way. They almost never survive in faultless mint condition. A poster with aging and damp/water stains on the reverse, pin holes, tape residue and handling are commonplace. This can all be positive factors establishing age and originality as most of these posters have ‘lived a life’. So, don’t let that put you off.

Be very wary of white clean new looking paper with no imperfections in near perfect condition. Be cautious of bargain prices as rare originals seldom come at knock down prices. I have also seen fakes that are deliberately distressed and damaged to appear old, so be looking out for this trick too.

The list of these current well-known Hapsash and Osiris Visions Bootleg posters are as follows-

Pre OA-PinkFloyd/Soft machine at UFO Poster by Michael English (double size 40 x30 inches)

OA 102 Tomorrow My White Bicycle Poster - BOTH white and cream paper versions 

OA109 The Move at the Marquee Poster

OA 114 CIA v UFO Pink Floyd Poster-there is also an early 1970’s POST OA non-screen print reproduction that comes up for sale often as an original 1st print.

OA 118 5th Dimension Leicester Poster

OA 123 The Who I can see for Miles  Poster

OA 124 Richard Bernstein Gallery Poster

OA 134 Julie Felix At the Albert Hall Poster

The following posters were originally offset litho- All theOAS and OA 500 series were also offset

OAS 4 The Who at the Saville Theatre Poster

OA501 Arthur Brown Track Promo Poster

OA 502 Jimi Hendrix Track Promo Poster

Yarrowstalk licenced Osiris Visions reprint posters

There is also a group of licenced Osiris Visions reproduction posters known as the Yarrowstalk edition printed by Brian Zahn of the US Yarrowstalk counterculture magazine.  These posters were screen printed in the later part of 1967 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and are the earliest known licensed reprints. 

The posters can be distinguished by the lack of OA printing Credit and some copies appear slightly misprinted. Unfortunately, there is no printers mark, but some helpfully do have an elaborate Yarrowstalk stamp and/or Brian Zahn’s signature on the verso. However, it is impossible to determine 100% exactly when they were printed, reprinted or in what numbers. 

Mint condition copies still emerge for sale on the market and from the Zahn estate who seem to still have copies for sale. The known Yarrowstalk prints are -

OA 103 Hendrix at the Fillmore Poster

OA104 UFO Coming Poster

OA 114 CIA v UFO Poster

OA 116 Save Earth Now Poster

Although not OA originals or produced in London they are historically relevant as the earliest reprints licenced from Hapshash so they have value, and are not recent bootlegs. They can make an affordable substitute for the more expensive and harder to find original Osiris Visions posters 

Verso of Hendrix at the Fillmore OA 103 Yarrowstalk edition

Recent Discoveries 

One of the great joys of collecting is also that of occasional rediscovery and recently several unknown original Hapshash works have come to light. They have no OA number and not works printed for Osiris Visions, but they have been acknowledged as original pieces by Nigel Waymouth. Hopefully there is still more to be discovered!

Hapsash and the Coloured Coat at the Paradiso April, 25, 1968

Hapshash and the Coloured Coat at the Paradiso 25 April 1968 / Thursday? Good!

This poster reuses the 1966 pre Hapshash English /Waymouth poster Friday? Good!  With a reimagined and irreverent 1960’s Last supper with colourful new characters and uses it as a gig poster for the bands appearance at the famous Paradiso Club in Amsterdam. 

 Hapshash expanded it interest into creating experimental music recording two albums and naturally creating the artwork and promotional material. As a studio work it seems to succeed with a cast of quality musicians supporting the artists who didn’t play on the albums but as a live act it became shambolic and acrimonious. 

The few gigs were apparently improvised, chaotic and only a few more occurred back in the UK. This Holland trip was the only time both English and Waymouth performed together live and Waymouth describes these gigs as the end of their artistic partnership. This is the only known copy which came to light in 2017.

Score it at the Head Shop

Score it at the Headshop poster

These small promo posters in green on pink paper were given away to customers at the Kensington Park Road Head Shop London. The stoned hippie head surrounded by hashish (?) smoke and shooting stars is typical Hapshash. There are currently two known copies of this recently discovered poster. The wavy ‘Score it at the Headshop’text is similar in style to the text on the Hapshash 14hr Technicolor Dream flyer design of April 67 so possibly from the same early Hapshash period. 

This guide was written by Nick Etheridge. Nick welcomes any comments or additional information you may have. can be reached at nicketheridge1@hotmail.com

References and Notes Hapsash and Osiris Visions posters

Whocollection.com. A very useful Osiris poster resource by respected collector Brad Rogers with information and images about the series and his pioneering research on the fake OA posters. http://www.whocollection.com/hapshash_&_osiris_posters.htm.

V&A Museum London – A great resource of many original and rare OA posters in the permanent collection including the International Times file copies and Michael English’s own collection that and can be viewed online. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/.

Information about the infamous UK Hapshash and poster faker Nigel Mentzel- https://mentzelposters.blogspot.com/;This is a comprehensive blog by Australian academic and passionate Martin Sharp and 60’s art blogger Michael Organ.

Bibliography - Hapsash and Osiris Visions posters

Useful texts and background for the UK underground scene.

High Art by Ted Owen

Days in The Life, Voices from the English Underground 1961-71 by Jonathon Green

In the 60’s by Barry Miles 

My White Bicycle: Making Music in the 1960’s by Joe Boyd

3D Eye by Michael English

The Art of British Rock 50 years of Rock Posters, Flyers and Handbills by Mike Evans

I want To Take You Higher- The Psychedelic Scene 1965-69 

Underground Graphics by Graham Keen

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A Guide to British concert posters and British psychedelic posters by Nick Etheridge

OAS 5 Osiris Visions Ltd Poster

OAS 5 Osiris Visions promo poster

The OAS 5 is a little known promo poster that boldly displays the new address and phone number of Osiris Visions after its move to new premises around November or early December 67. Although not a graphic masterpiece, it provides a direct insight into the dazzling selection posters available at the end of 1967  All but three of the designs are from Hapshash and only two non silkscreen.

Very few of the 1967 OA posters were reprinted in 1968 with the notable exception of the popular OA 103 Hendrix at the Fillmore and OA 301 Luv Me.

OA 116 Save Earth Now poster

OA 116 Save Earth Now Poster

This is a stunning example of a very early 1960’s environmental poster showing the growing awareness and interest in ecology and protecting our world. The poster shows aspects of the earth from the sky, sea, jungles and mountains with various animals along the different races and religions of the world living in harmony.Note the subtle background colour split from bright yellow to green under the gold ink pass.

OA 123 I Can See for Miles Poster The Track record promo for The Who is a masterclass of rainbow printing. There are three individual split applications of ink to create this poster and must have been incredibly time consuming to print. There is a red to yellow gradient backgroung, metalic silver to gold gradiant and a final dark blue to light blue.The effect is beautiful, seamless and easy to miss.

OA 123 The Who I Can See For Miles Poster

Finding an absolute original of this poster can be very challenging due to the high quality bootleg that has been in circulation for some years and originates from a well known UK bootlegger.

The copy is very well printed and sometimes still passing for the original as it appears to have layered inks although it is not a true silk screen poster. These posters still come up for sale on Ebay and more recently sold on as modestly priced 1970’s reprints now they are generally recognised as reprints. So expert help is needed if offered one of these posters as this fake has fooled collectors and dealer alike.

Part 3 of this Guide on Hapsash concert posters and Osiris Visions posters will be published soon.

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A guide to British concert posters & British psychedelic posters by Nick Etheridge

A lot has been said and continues to be said about classic US psychedelic posters. There has been commentary, cataloguing, revision and revelation as material emerges from deep collections and prices and excitement continues to rise.

By contrast, UK psychedelic posters, are mostly uncatalogued and with limited classification making it a potential Wild West for fakery, fraud and uncertainty for the uninitiated.

However, some of the posters that emerged from the London scene are among the most creative, beautiful and desirable anywhere and highly coveted by astute collectors. Today there is enormous demand from collectors and museums worldwide for the few extant copies who recognise the historical importance, stunning artwork and legendry performers and artists who thrived and exploded out of the vibrant London scene of the late 60’s. 

Hapshash and the Coloured Coat Posters

The greatest and most cohesive body of psychedelic art from the UK are the almost mythical posters created by Hapshash & The Coloured Coat. The artists Michael English and Nigel Waymouth were initially put together to create artwork for the famous London psychedelic nightclub the UFO on Tottenham Court Road, London and from that wellspring emerged a small but astonishing series of concert posters, record promos, head and fashion shop posters and numerous smaller graphics works like the fold out cover posters for OZ magazine. They eventually recorded an LP culminating in a few live gigs that pre-empted their parting of ways mid-1968. Their legacy of perhaps 30 posters of fantastic quality, ground-breaking printing and rich imagination defines the UK psychedelic era and set new standards for what and how posters could be printed.

It is worth noting that due to scarcity, desirability and limited information all authentic Hapshash posters printed in 1967-68 are considered as 1st pressing originals. Although some popular posters were reprinted during this time such is the desirability and scarcity of the 1960’s originals that these hand produced works are considered equally collectable, a situation quite unique in the rock poster collecting world.

OA 114 CIA Pink Floyd at UFO Club concert poster

OA 114 CIA v UFO Pink Floyd at UFO Poster

OA114 is one of the most beloved of all Hapshash UFO and Pink Floyd posters. This was for what turned out to be the last night of the original UFO club before pressure from the mainstream press persuaded the police to act and close it down. The poster is a tour de force of cosmic symbols, flying saucers and beautiful printing. This is one of the most bootlegged of all the OA posters and Nigel Waymouth’s personal favourite.

Position 70 OZ 4 poster

Position 70 OZ 4 poster.In May 67 Hapshash produced the first of two beautiful wraparound covers that unfolded into posters for issue 4 and later 13 of the ground-breaking OZ magazine. The iconic image was reproduced minus the magazine price by Big O as a commercial poster and was still available into the early 70’s. Despite its popularity few have survived. The image shows the unfolded poster.

 Osiris Visions Ltd. and the poster printing process 

The majority of the Hapshash output are part of a wider catalogue of posters printed and distributed by Osiris Visions Ltd. This business was set up by Joe Boyd who ran the UFO club and Barry Miles the proprietor of Indica Books and the International Times the leading UK counterculture newspaper. 

Once Osiris Visions was established all posters were allocated an ‘OA’ or Osiris Agency catalogue number which was printed onto the posters as part of the printing credit and copyright details which can be seen on all the original OA Hapshash posters apart from a few non-OA productions and early pre-OA printings.

This OA printing credit can be key to deciphering and understanding when, and sometimes where, the poster was printed. The printing credit below is from the last original printing of OA 103 Hendrix at the Fillmore. The Charlotte St. address identifies it as the last of the official printing of this poster dating it between Dec 67 or the early 1968 and the type font indicates it was printed by TSR.

The OA printing credit contains valuable information and is the key to determining when and where the poster was printed

Artists who worked on the OA series were the very best of the scene including Mike McInnerney, Martin Sharp, Adrian George and Greg Irons from the US as well as various images supplied by photographers like Des Dale.

The OA series allocations can appear haphazard with numbers missed, posters reallocated to different numbers as well as numerous and seemingly pointless additional series with only a few posters in it. But at least it is an inventory of sorts even if initially confusing and incomplete.

A key feature of Hapshash posters is they were beautifully hand screen printed with liberal use of bright dayglo and rich metallic inks giving them a distinctive texture, colour intensity and depth. They revived, improvised and improved split colour ‘rainbow printing’ mixing different colours seamlessly to dramatic affect. Despite the process being labour intensive it might be used multiple times on a single poster. OA 123 I Can See for Milespromo Track Records for The Who has three passes of ink and all are split and graduate seamlessly to different colours!

Unfortunately, these printing methods are time consuming and very costly so only small numbers could be produced (100’s not 1000’s) and the fact the best posters were silkscreen meant Osiris Visions made little if any money from them.

The printing process also prohibited any large-scale production as the individual colour screens used to pass the ink through would quickly wear out from the abrasion of forcing ink over and through them by hand with a squeegee. Additional runs would need new sets of screens crafted from templates prepared by the artists and increasing the run size did not reduce costs.

OA 103 Hendrix at the Fillmore Auditorium concert poster

The handmade screens would never be identical one printing to the next or from one print shop to another. The incredibly popular Hendrix at the Fillmore OA103 was printed no less than five times at three different locations each with distinct layering of overlapping inks. A small point perhaps but the district differences are very useful now to help determine authenticity and chronology of printings. Despite the multiple printings it is still rare as an original due to the modest numbers printed.  

About half the concert posters were fly posted often in dazzling large groups and the others sold on but Osiris Visions ran at a loss due to the high production costs required to produce them. Joe Boyd finally closed Osiris Visions mid 1968 as the poster business declined and the Hapshash partnership dissolved.

UFO Mk 2 OA202 poster

UFO MK2 OA202 poster, often referred to as “The Toothpaste Poster”

This was the first stunning work from the Hapshash collaboration in March 67 and is considered a Pop Art masterpiece. It’s an impressive 30 x 40 inches and expensive to produce so probably printed in very low numbers. It is a flowing pink/orange peppermint swirl spelling UFO floating over a gold background. They were posted around the streets of drab London in large groups and must have looked mesmerizing.  This advertised six weeks of shows at the UFO Club that included Pink Floyd, Soft machine and Arthur Brown. It is sometimes referred to as the’ toothpaste poster’ and as an original incredibly rare.

The artwork from Hapshash is distinctive for their use of styles and images from Pop Art to Art Nouveau (both original and plagiarized), mystical symbols and mythical animals, ground-breaking and playful use of split colour printing. Within many of the highly detailed and layered artworks will be found small whimsical details, cartoon characters, unnoticed cryptic messages and astrological signs that all add to the mystique of the posters. 

The desire for a cohesive vision in the poster was paramount to the artists and perhaps at times more so than what was being advertised. Information was often minimized to the periphery or integrated directly into the graphics raising them to more ‘objet d’art’ rather than a throwaway promotional device. 

OA 130 Mystical Pantomines Incredible String Band Concert Poster for March Tour 1968

OA 130 poster Mystical Pantomimes Incredible String Band March Tour 1968.

Full of sexual and colourful symbolism. Fantastic multiple split colour passes of ink from gold to yellow and red and a dark to light blue over the top. The tour name only appears in an obscure thought bubble and tour dates modestly displayed (or obscured) in the bottom border over rows of red dots. The band’s name appears in the clouds alongside other small characters over a sea of geometric dots that cover the lower portion of the poster. This poster also has the circular Hapshash logo used on design work in 1968.

Screen or Offset ? OAS Poster Series

Most Hapshash posters are screen printed but this is not always the case. Joe Boyd of Osiris Visions requested that Hapshash use the cheaper offset litho process to reduce costs but they prefered the silkscreen process due to the fantastic results. However a few are litho printed, including the OAS series. 

The OAS  series begins with the four beautiful Sunday at the Saville OAS 1-4 for concerts in September and October 67 which are offset but commonly described or sold as silkscreened. They do have the look of a silkscreened poster but they are all offset on uncoated stock that also gives them a matt silkscreened look.OAS 4 has been bootlegged so caution is required as many copies circulating are reprints. 

Despite being limited to offset printing for this series Hapshash still had fun experimenting and there are two rarer variants, OAS 3 Traffic that uses pink and blue rather than black and an OAS 4 The Who that is a darker orange/brown rather than bright orange.

Its not well known that there are six, not four, posters in the OAS series that includeOAS 5 Osiris Visions Promo ( see below) and OAS 6 The Who Sells Out by Adrian George that came machine folded into the first 1000 issues (500 mono 500 stereo) of the Album released 15  December 1967. The album with small  ‘psychedelic poster inside’ sticker and original folded poster today now command a high price.

OAS 3 Sunday at the Saville  The Pink Floyd/ Jimi Hendrix Poster

OAS 3 Sunday at the Saville The Pink Floyd/Jimi Hendrix concert poster

Comonly thought of as a screenprint this litho poster in matt almost grey silver lists a stunning selection of key performers of the UK underground in October 67. Joe Boyd who ran Osiris Visions also managed many of the bands here and also produced Pink Floyds first single. Although performing on separate nights very few concert posters are able to boast both Jimi Hendrix and The Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett on the billing.

This poster and other OA’s were oficially reproduced by the San Fransisco Arts lab in the 1990’s under the supervision of the English and Waymouth with early numbers being hand signed by the artists. This series of reprints uses very bright and shiny metalic inks giving a spectacular but different feel than the originals.

About the Author - Nick Etheridge is a dedicated collector based in the UK and passionate about psychedelic posters from Hapshash to Hawkwind.

In recent years he has become fascinated by the influential groundbreaking posters from Osiris Visions and Hapshash issued for a short period in the heyday of the 60’s scene in London.

Nick is dedicated in his research clarifying the posters, identifying print runs and increasing our knowledge along with helping avoid the fakes that have flooded the market.

Nick welcomes any additional information you wish to contribute on this subject, and is available to answer any questions you may have. He can be reached at Nicketheridge1@hotmail.com

Stay tuned for part 2 which will be published soon!

References and Notes Hapsash and Osiris Visions posters

Whocollection.com. A very useful Osiris poster resource by respected collector Brad Rogers with information and images about the series and excellent research on the fake OA posters.

V&A Museum London – vam.ac.uk; there are many original and rare OA posters in their permanent collection and can be viewed online.

Hapsash and Osiris Visions Poster Bibliography 

Useful texts and background for Hapsash and Osiris Visions posters and the UK underground scene.

High Art by Ted Owen

Days in The Life, Voices from the English Underground 1961-71 by Robert Green

In the 60’s by Barry Miles 

My White Bicycle: Making Music in the 1960’s by Joe Boyd

3D Eye by Michael English

The Art of British Rock 50 years of Rock Posters, Flyers and Handbills by Mike Evans

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Rare "FD-2" Concert Poster and "FD-1" Tribal Stomp 4/22/66 Fillmore Auditorium Concert Handbill could command record prices

This FD-2 King Kong Memorial Dance Fillmore Auditorium 2/26/66 concert poster is being auctioned by Psychedelic Art Exchange

This FD-1 Tribal Stomp Fillmore Auditorium 2/19/66 Concert Handbill is the finest CGC graded specimen to appear at auction

This FD-3 Paul Butterfield Blues Band Fillmore Auditorium 3/25/66 is being auctioned by Psychedelic Art Exchange

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA, July 27, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Collectors are closely watching a high quality specimen of the ultra rare King Kong Memorial Dance concert poster at Fillmore Auditorium that is now open for bids. The famous FD-2 vintage concert poster, promotes a show by Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother Holding Company at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, Ca. on February 22, 1966. The poster has been independently authenticated and graded 7.5 by CGC, and is tied for the finest quality CGC graded specimen to ever cross the auction block. It is estimated to bring $25,000 - $50,000.

The King Kong Memorial Dance concert poster is being auctioned by Psychedelic Art Exchange at https://concertpostergallery.com. Bidding is now open and ends Thursday, August 8, 2019 at 9:00pm ET.

"This is universally recognized as one of the rarest and most sought after vintage 1960's concert posters ever created," explains Glen Trosch, President of Psychedelic Art Exchange. "It is estimated that just 500 of the FD-2 King Kong Memorial Dance concert poster were originally produced, and this is tied for the finest quality CGC specimen to ever appear at public auction!"

The poster is part of The Early '66 Time Capsule Collection, widely considered to be one of the most important vintage concert poster collections to be auctioned in the past 20 years. The collection is comprised of 133 vintage concert posters and handbills. Every piece in the collection is from a very brief period, January 1966 through May, 1966. The collection was assembled by a student that attended San Francisco State University 1965-1967, and briefly worked for The Family Dog, hanging posters, and distributing handbills on the street.

Other highlight of the auction include:

FD-1 Tribal Stomp concert handbill in museum quality condition, CGC graded 9.6. The vintage concert handbill promotes a show by Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore Auditorium 2/19/66 and is by far the finest CGC graded example of the classic rarity to ever appear at public auction.

FD-3 concert poster, CGC graded 7.5. This vintage concert poster promotes a show by Paul Butterfield Blues Band at The Fillmore Auditorium, 3/25/66.

"Many of the vintage concert posters and handbills in the Early '66 Time Capsule collection have never been offered at public auction before," added Trosch. "That's why our phones have been ringing off the hook!"

All lots in the auction are being sold unreserved and all lots have a starting bid of just $1.00. Check out the Psychedelic Art Exchange auction at https://concertpostergallery.com.

Scott Tilson
Psychedelic Art Exchange
+1 435-659-1660
email us here
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Legendary concert hall produced historic moments and highly sought after concert posters

What collectors have long known is now officially recognized….the Grande Ballroom was one of the most important concert venues of the 1960’s! The legendary music venue was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

A recent photo of the legendary 1960’s concert hall, The Grande Ballroom

The Grande, located in Detroit Michigan, represented one of the largest and most vibrant outpost of the Psychedelic Scene outside San Francisco. Musical icons such as Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Traffic and many others appeared on the Grande stage.

These shows were promoted through the creation of mind boggling concert posters that created by well known artists Carl Lundgren and Gary Grimshaw. Their output is universally recognized for being of World Class quality, in the same league as the poster created by “The Big Five” out west.

What’s most exciting to collectors is that these posters were created in extremely limited quantities of 500-1000 per issue. Equally important, Detroit did not have the huge legion of poster collectors that were active in California.

This means that the survival rate of Grande concert posters, particularly in high grade, is extremely low. That’s why we described Grande Ballroom concert posters as a “powder keg ready to explode”, in our 2018 year in review blog post.

If you are looking for beautifully designed concert posters that are historically important and extremely rare, artworks from the Grande Ballroom are hard to beat!

To read more about Grandes historic designation, click here.

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