Featured Need help with a poster mystery

Discussion in 'Art' started by Thomas Paine, Mar 18, 2018.

  1. Thomas Paine

    Thomas Paine New Member

    For the last couple months I have been investigating a poster I bought, and I think I've finally hit a dead end. I happened to find this forum and was hoping someone would be able to help!

    I found this poster hanging in a local thrift store a couple months ago. What caught my eye was what appeared to be the signature of the graphic designer Milton Glaser. I was suspicious since besides the illustration, the design of the poster didn't match Glaser's style, so I emailed his design studio. They got back to me and told me that they spoke with Milton Glaser himself who said that it was not his design.

    After a surprising amount of digging, I tracked down what the poster was for; the premiere of a musical called Festival in 1978 in San Francisco. I've also attached an image of an ad for the musical in the SF Chronicle. You'll notice that the Milton Glaser signature is missing in the ad.

    So basically, I'm trying to figure out why the signature was added to the version of the poster that I own. (It seems to be printed as a part of the rest of the poster as opposed to being added after the poster had already been printed.) I am also trying to track down who the original designer actually is.

    My only theory right now is that someone added the signature to increase the value of the poster. What's puzzling to me however is that anyone able to recognize Milton Glaser's signature would easily recognize that its not a Milton Glaser poster, or at least find that out with a little research. On top of that, I could find no images of this poster online which I think means whoever sold this must have the original.

    Any ideas??
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    Are you sure that signature doesn’t say Melvin ‘something or other’??? I just don’t see ‘Milton’ for the first name.......
     
  3. Thomas Paine

    Thomas Paine New Member

    Yeah it is a little illegible but here's an image of Milton Glaser's signature for comparison. Also, when I emailed his studio they confirmed that while it wasn't his design it was his signature.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    OK, well, that's a good thing!!!! Wish I could be of more help......
     
    Christmasjoy likes this.
  5. Caribou's House

    Caribou's House Well-Known Member

    I don't see a reason why they'd put his signature on the newspaper ad. That would detract from the artists putting together the musical, I think. (shrug)
    It was 40 years ago. I don't think he remembers doing it, and maybe he's not proud of it because it is a bit off his style but they wanted something medieval and Renaissance Fair looking and he obliged for whatever reason.
    It's not the first time an artist has disowned a piece.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2018
  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

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