Grateful Dead Cheese Factory 1966

This swirling homage to art nouveau organic styling announced an event to celebrate the first anniversary of the Grateful Dead. A year earlier the band had changed their name from the Warlocks and here they were joined by Andrew Staples, a garage band from Davis.  The Old Cheese Factory, at 517 Washington near Ghirardelli Square was only used just this once as a concert venue. The poster features an outstanding signature by Stanley Mouse. No setlist appears to have survived.

Mouse and Kelley worked together on their posters, actually sharing a large drawing table as Mouse is right-handed and Kelley was left handed. Typically, Kelley selected the image and laid out the poster while Mouse did the illustration. The Art Nouveau style was both organic and psychedelic in nature and was often used by Mouse, Kelley and fellow Big Five poster artist Rick Griffin.