There was only one woman who consistently created concert posters in San Francisco during the psychedelic era. Her name was Bonnie MacLean. MacLean's work is among the most beautiful and collectible of her time, and she was as important to psychedelic posters as the "big five". Here's a look at her work and legacy.

Bonnie MacLean's Posters

Bonnie MacLean began taking art classes while working at the Pratt Institute in New York City, after graduating from Penn State with a degree in French. She moved to San Francisco in 1963, where she met promoter Bill Graham. The two got married a few years later in 1967. At that point, MacLean was already essential in helping Graham run the Fillmore Auditorium. She'd work as a street promoter, take tickets at the door, or even manage the venue's accounts. At first, she used her artistic skills to create blackboard advertisements within the Fillmore. Wes Wilson was the primary designer for Bill Graham's posters up until 1967. However, Wilson and Graham had a falling out that year. It was then that MacLean took on the role of poster artist for the Fillmore.

Bonnie MacLean's art style is clearly influenced by the work of Wes Wilson, yet it is quite distinctive. Her imagery is soft and flowing, and very fairy tale like in nature. Most of her pieces feature faces with stoic expressions. MacLean's posters are very colorful, and make use of the traditional psychedelic lettering style. She designed 31 total concert posters for legendary acts such as Pink Floyd, Cream, The Doors, and The Who. She and Graham divorced in 1975, and she went on to create more traditional art. However, in 2015 she was commissioned to design a poster for the opening of the Fillmore in Philadelphia, and she briefly reprised her psychedelic art style. MacLean died earlier this year at the age of 80.

Collecting MacLean's Posters

Bonnie MacLean's posters are widely collected by poster enthusiasts today. Her work is regularly sold at auction for thousands of dollars. Her most famous piece is likely the BG-75, which is also one of the most iconic posters in the Bill Graham numbered series. This particular poster is easily worth $10,000 in good condition. It is impossible to have a well rounded collection of psychedelic posters without including at least a few of MacLean's designs.

For more information about the value of specific concert posters, make sure to head over to our brand new concert poster price guide! It's still free for a limited time with the Family Dog series. We'll be launching more poster collections in the coming weeks, and you can be sure to see MacLean's posters up in the near future. This tool will be incredibly helpful to you as you build your collection of vintage concert posters. Stay tuned as the site continues to grow!

Check out the concert poster price guide for FREE today!