Heading: (Posters- Rock)
Author: Leon, Eli
Title: Martha's Laundry at The Balloon, September 24, 1967 - eleven variant posters plus original artwork and proofs
Place Published: San Francisco
Publisher:
Date Published: 1967
Description:

Color poster. 11 copies. 33x25 cm (13x10"). Also included are 3 proof/test copies, and 9 pieces of original artwork used in designing the poster. 23 pieces in all.

11 copies of this scarce poster, printed in a variety of vibrant colors schemes. Also present are 9 pieces of original artwork used in the making of the poster, from all stages of the design. Includes various early designs and drawings in pencil, some with black ink, and a near final version in color. The poster was a promo for a Martha‘s Laundry show at The Balloon in San Francisco‘s North Beach, which was located at 1031 Kearny St. Martha‘s Laundry were a Berkeley band who played primarily covers of somewhat obscure blues songs. Notable band members included Randall Smith (AKA Randy Prune, creator of the Mesa Boogie Guitar amplifier line) and Jim Lehman, both founders of Berkeley‘s legendary music store Prune Music, which then became Guitar Resurrection.

The Red Balloon opened on April 1, 1953, as an indoor amusement center. By 1967, the name shortened to The Balloon, and the entertainment had changed to "Topless Games" including "topless ping pong." In April 1967 it had a short-lived name, La Carnaval, with "topless rassling." In December 1967 it advertised as a "Cellar Cabaret" with an underground theatre performance. In 1977 it started a long run as the Palladium Club.

Occasional light edgewear, one copy with scattered small white dots; most copies fine.