Iconic Psychedelic Poster Set of The Beatles Photographed by Richard Avedon

Description

Iconic 1960s Psychedelic Full-Color Poster Set of The Beatles
Vintage
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison photographed in 1967 by Richard Avedon (
American, 1923 - 2004
).
High quality prints with bright colors and minor creasing from a limited edition 1 album (2000) poster, each piece measures approximately 7.75 inches wide by 9.75 inches tall, mounted smoothly on ~0.5 inch thick MDF, ready to hang with screw eyes, steel wire, and felt feet.
From an advertisement for the Look editions of the posters:
Put wow on the wall! ... Flame-bright John... Flower-power Paul... Mystic George... Dove-loving Ringo. All photographed for LOOK by Richard Avedon... Like the Big Four themselves, they're kicks, a happening, an art form, a chest thump. Get them and believe.
Historical Background:
Although Richard Avedon’s celebrated fashion photographs have graced the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Life, the artist primarily referred to himself as a portrait photographer. Avedon’s fashion shots are profoundly dramatic and dynamic, often capturing the model in motion. Along with his own acquaintances and various ordinary people, Avedon took photographs of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures ranging from Bertrand Russell to Marilyn Monroe. In both his commercial assignments and his portrait work, Avedon’s meticulous approach and penetrating gaze sought to capture the essence of each unique subject and moment in time. In addition to working within the world of fashion, Richard Avedon lent his photographic talents to civil rights and rock posters.
Beatles manager Brian Epstein commissioned Richard Avedon to photograph the band and design a set of posters that would visually capture the new psychedelic direction of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour. Following the shoot at a penthouse in Thompson House, 200 Gray's Inn Road, London on 11th August 1967, Avedon distorted four of the polarized images with day-glo overlays and symbolic attributes. The photographs were first published in the 9th January 1968 edition of the USA magazine Look, and the posters distributed simultaneously by Look magazine in the USA, Varagids in Holland, the Daily Express in the UK, and Stern Magazine in Germany, together with a black and white banner poster of the band which became known as the Mount Rushmore poster. With a pullout / pull-out order form which described the four posters as Flame Bright John, Flower Power Paul, Mystic George and Dove Loving Ringo, American fans could send away for individual posters at .50 each or a full set for .95. Archetypal of the "Flower Power" era, the posters have become seminal images of the late 1960s, transcending the world of music memorabilia and appealing to collectors of fine art, fashion photography, and design alike. Although originally printed in a large open edition, few survive in unused condition. An example of the Look magazine set is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Avedon sold the copyrights of both the photos he took that day and his psychedelic embellishments executed in post production, to NEMS Enterprises, Ltd. - a firm run by the Beatles music manager Brian Epstein. Avedon relinquished all rights, but collected royalties under the now defunct Richard Avedon Posters, Inc. On Aug 27, 1967, sixteen days after Avedon’s Beatles photo session, Beatles manager Brian Epstein died from an overdose. The Beatles were shocked. By strange twist of fate, the Beatles were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s meditation seminar at Bangor, North Wales. The guru they had just met in London became a substitute for their use of psychedelics and a cushion for their bereavement. Avedon, unknowingly to the Beatles, or even himself, had captured this true spiritual essence just weeks before.
POSTERS AND PRINTS INSPIRED BY CLASSIC ROCK HIT TUNES
Images are for illustrative purposes only see Variations for size, format and related prices
Artwork is made to order - primary listing image illustrates the framed and matted selection
Main listing image illustrates a framed and matted print
Your customized artwork is available in a number of sizes and formats to suit your unique needs
See drop-down list for sizes and formats available
Once you make your purchase, your selection is sent for print or fabrication
Prints, Posters, Matted Prints, and Framed Prints typically have 1-3 day handling time
Canvas Wraps and Laminated Plaques typically have 5-8 handling time (additional time required for fabrication)
All artwork is custom designed and each size is digitally formatted to your selection size
PRINT OR POSTER
ONLY
Brilliantly printed on high quality photo archival paper
Prints are shipped in acid-free acrylic sleeves inside rigid mailers
Posters shipped in corrugated cardboard sheets
MATTED PRINT
WITHOUT
FRAME
Brilliantly printed on high quality photo archival paper
Mats have a bevelled edge with lifetime acid-free eco-core
Made from recycled paper
Presented with a smooth white finish Manilla board backing
8"x10" print with a mat is an overall size of 11"x14"
11"x14" print with a mat is an overall size of 16"x20"
Shipped in acid-free sleeves inside rigid mailers or corrugated cardboard
Black mat may be substituted if appropriate to the artwork
FRAMED WITHOUT MAT PRINT AND POSTER DETAILS
Mounted in a black wood frame with a 1.5" depth (for example, a framed 8x10 print has a finished size of 11x14 with the frame)
Frame has 1/8" acrylic shatterproof front
Sawtooth hanging hook on back of frame making it ready-to-hang
Carefully wrapped and packaged in a custom-sized cardboard box for shipping
FRAMED AND MATTED PRINT DETAILS
Matted and mounted in a black wood frame with a 1.5" depth (for example, a matted and framed 8x10 print has a finished size of 14x17 with the frame)
Frame has 1/8" acrylic shatterproof front
Sawtooth hanging hook on back of frame making it ready-to-hang
Carefully wrapped and packaged in a custom-sized cardboard box for shipping
GALLERY WRAPPED CANVAS DETAILS
Superb quality ready to hang Gallery Canvas Wrap
Artwork is formatted and stretched for 1.5" wooden frame
Artwork extends the edges
LAMINATED PLAQUE DETAILS
Professionally styled laminated plaques
Fabricated on 3/8" MDF board
Ready-to-hang
Accent edge selected at time of fabrication to blend with artwork