From the Houston Freeburg Collection.

The ambassador that has best represented the San Francisco Ballroom Posters in their rising acceptance in the global collectibles community has been of the FD-26-OP-1 Skull and Roses Grateful Dead Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco California September 15-16 1966.

There is very little that we can add to the rich backstory of this historic concert poster. Like the culture from which it was born, practically every element of this poster's history is steeped in serendipity and LSD. Most notably, the secretly appropriated artwork chosen for this poster will forever be associated with the birth of a rag-tag collection of Bay Area musicians who formed a rowdy, raunchy psychedelic blues band in 1965. A band that would evolve to the status of a cultural phenomenon. A band that would carry the ethos of the 1960s counterculture to future generations. The Grateful Dead were clearly the stewards of the 1960s Haight Ashbury phenomenon. The seeds they helped plant in 1965 in San Francisco are still bearing fruit today in our culture and society.

Clearly, the poster's intrinsic qualities have carried the FD-26 to its current status in the collectibles world. The legacy of the Grateful Dead speaks to the poster's continued relevance and as a collectible, it continually breaks record prices at auction.

The perfect copies and well known, they are marvels to witness and deserve the continued skyrocketing demand. This copy however requires a more discerning look. The 9.0 CGC graded near mint copy with just tiny pin holes and a small nick just barely misses the high mark.

This astonishing 9.0 Near Mint grade issued by the quality standards at CGC only tells half of the story here. The discerning collector will recognize that tiny pin holes are just the gentlest of battle wounds proving its longstanding adoration, rarely left on such a high-quality piece.

The grading alone can't take into account the overall aesthetic quality. Even though the bright inks pop in the crystal clear CGC holder. How it feels as a piece of art can only be revealed to the winning bidder.

The poster is a great buy for a 9.0 If the grade were of no consequence, cutting this poster out and framing it carefully, would be a completely reverent act. The encapsulation doesn't reveal the tactile quality or the grit of the pulpy paper. The things you can only get with a naked copy.

This copy has a level of preservation and authenticity that speaks beyond the current classification model. Its perfect registration and color saturation posed against a lovely toned background hit all the marks for a visual masterpiece. In the simplest of terms. This is the copy that creates the argument; is this ART or is it a collectible? This is art baby, hang it next to your Warhols!

(Note: the images provided by Liveauctioneers offer limited resolution. Serious bidders please contact PAE customer support for hi-res scans of the poster.)

CONDITION DETAILS: Tiny pinholes in each corner, A miniscule nick on left edge 2 1/4 inches from top edge, Age appropriate toning, Perfect registration, Strong Inks.

--CRITICAL DETAILS--
--TITLE: Fd-26
--GRADE: 9
--PERFORMERS: Grateful Dead
--VENUE: Avalon
--CITY: San Francisco
--DATE: 09/16/66
--PRINTING: OP-1; Poster
--CGC SERIAL: 2510804005