An eBay seller has decided to auction off his nearly complete collection of the City of San Francisco Oracle, published in Haight Ashbury in 1966 through 1968. The listing includes a number of great images from the collection.
The seller's listing states, "These are not reproductions. Twelve issues were published. This collection includes all twelve, along with five additional variations of the original editions. The so-called thirteenth issue, the Harbinger, is also included, along with a copy of The City, a 1991 magazine that celebrated the Oracle in print. Putting together a collection of the Oracle is increasingly difficult. These issues were collected years ago. Anyone who has searched for individual copies over the years knows that issues in the condition of those in this collection are hard to come by.
The Oracle of the City of San Francisco, also known as the San Francisco Oracle, was an underground newspaper published in 12 issues from September 20, 1966, to February 1968 in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of that city. Allen Cohen (1940–2004), the editor and Michael Bowen, the art director, founded the publication. The Oracle was among the founding members of the Underground Press Syndicate. The Oracle combined poetry, spirituality, and multicultural interests with psychedelic design, reflecting and shaping the counter-cultural community as it developed in the Haight-Ashbury.
It was arguably the outstanding example of psychedelia within counter-cultural "underground" press, noted for experimental multicolored design. Oracle contributors included many significant San Francisco-area artists of the time, including Bruce Conner and Rick Griffin. It featured such beat writers as Allen Ginsberg, Gary Synder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Michael McClure."
I've got some of this art - that I did - on ENVELOPES. Many of the colors have faded because they were done with (at that time, new) felt tip pens. I will put one up on my blog on Friday, and perhaps continue to publish them once a week on Friendship Postcard Fridays until I've exhausted my wife's collection, depending upon the response I get. I did one a night the last two months I was in Southeast Asia. I even have one that got 'The Finger' from the USPO - probably because they thought it was too hot.
Has a 'complete collection' ever been sold before? I've not looked at the other categories of SanFran related paper art - like the Avalon Ballroom Posters or Flyers, but I'm certain they're out there.
Family Dog Productions, Chet somebody, with lots of great names of bands - Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Canned Heat and Taj Mahal. I only remember two names of artists - Rick Griffin & Stanley Mouse, but I know they weren't the only ones.
Another great find, Marty!
Posted by: Dave Dubé | July 22, 2009 at 07:33 AM
I'm gonna add - I just listened to your interview by Frank DeFreitas on the Ephemera Network, and it was nice to put a voice with your name as well as Frank's. You even sort of off-handedly mentioned the music related ephemera that's out there. After writing my earlier comment, I did a search on the Avalon Posters, and wow! Some eye-popping art just like I remembered it - and PRICES just as eye-popping!
Posted by: Dave Dubé | July 22, 2009 at 02:01 PM
We must return to our spirituality. Not more churches mind you, but wake the fact we are energy souls. Not just flesh, but spirit. This way we will end conflict, crime, hate, and evils. Mutual cooperation will take over and flush out big useless Govt.
Posted by: tyler | September 11, 2009 at 01:05 AM
Please...learn to meditate...you will open your mind and heal your body. A new human will you be...learn astral travel also...see your real world and all violent thoughts will end. Poverty, hate, greed will cease as well. We need not fight ea. other.
Posted by: ron | September 02, 2011 at 11:29 AM