This is original hand-drawn poster artwork by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The poster was used to help promote the Monterey Pop Festival, a star-studded three-day concert event that took place June 16-18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. [...] Artist, illustrator and photographer Tom Wilkes was hired to be the art director for the Monterey Pop Festival. One of his many responsibilities was to provide the design and layout of the program for the festival. When it was confirmed in February of 1967 that The Beatles would not perform, Wilkes asked Derek Taylor to see if they would be kind enough to contribute something which he could use in the program. Wilkes received this incredible poster in return, which was reproduced as a message to festival goers from The Beatles. The artwork appears on page 16 of the 80 page full-color festival program. Although previously attributed to all four members of The Beatles, in reality this poster was a collaboration between only Lennon and McCartney. Using colored pencils, felt tip marker and ballpoint pen, both jointly wrote from top to bottom down the center: “PEACE TO monterey FROM SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND LOVING YO you it happened in Monterey A LONG TIME AGO I LOVE YOU.” The line “it happened in Monterey A LONG TIME AGO” appears in the popular 1930 song “It Happened In Monterey,” later popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1956. Although both Lennon and McCartney are responsible for the artwork, it was Paul who signed on behalf of all The Beatles “Sincerely John, Paul, George and Harold.” John wrote vertically along the left side “congratulations elvis. say hello to uncle stan. how are you bob.” Below the “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club” lines, John also wrote the word “Beatles”, followed by a heart with an arrow through it, and the word “you.” The obvious message there being “Beatles love you.” John is also primarily responsible for the intricate psychedelic artwork on the right side of the poster. That area features one large head evocative of the Hindu god Krishna. Contained within that drawing — among many other things — are the heads of the four Beatles with green faces and their new mustached look. There are two pairs of round faces drawn along the top. One pair is more impressionistic and the other pair is more literal, but all 4 faces have holes punched through the eyes. Which of the two – Lennon or McCartney – did that is uncertain but it was clearly not done after the poster was used in the program, as that is how it appears there.
BEATLES | “Peace To Monterey” Pop Festival Original Artwork (listing no longer exists but the text is available on The Paul McCartney Project)
lots going on here, huh
