Here is an exceptionally rare original Big Bill Broonzy poster for a concert that he did a a Jazz Festival at the Grand Casino in Menton in the South East of France along the French Riviera. It is for a show he did Wednesday Aug. Here is the story of how I came to unknowingly aquire this gem. A few years ago I was at a record show and picked up a copy of the 1950s 10 Big Bill Broonzy Sings the Blues. I bought a lot of records that day and when I got home I filed it in my collection with the intention of listening to it at a later date. Well it sate for a few years before I actually got around to listening to it. When I finally did take it out of the sleeve and give it a spin, the sleeve still seemed thick. I looked inside and saw what I thought was just a info flyer/liner notes that came with the record. I was gobsmacked when I unfolded it to see this fantastic poster. The poster measures Approximately by 15 inches by 22 ½ inches. I have taken pictures with a tape measure in them to give you an idea of size. The Poster was printed by the Imp. Delecluse Roubaix company as indicated at the bottom of the poster. My French is rusty but I believe it translates roughly to The Prestigious Black American Singer, Guitarist Big Bill Broonzy. It features a fantastic abstract image of a guitar and a photo image of Big Bill himself at the centre of an Ace of Spades playing card. I doubt this was ever put up anywhere as the red color is very vibrant and over all the print is very strong, which is probably due from being stored folded up away from light for so many years. What I did find on the internet was a story written by someone who apparently attended this very show. He did a fairly extensive tour of Europe (France, England and Germany to name a few) in 1951 where he gained a large following. It does have the fold marks, as well as some wrinkling and edge wear here and there. There are four smaller pieces of paper adhered near the back corners and one small pinhole at the top front right corner. It is free from major tears or rips and I think displays exceptionally well for a piece of this age. I have taken several photos of the front and back with close ups, for you to be able to judge condition for yourself. I have spent a couple of years looking to find another, or even a poster comparable to this without much luck. I doubt many survived, let alone made it overseas intact. It is one of the coolest posters I have ever seen let alone one for a Blues / Folk legends such as Big Bill. He stands shoulder to shoulder with the early legends of American Blues such as Leadbelly , Robert Johnson he filled in for Robert Johnson at a 1938 Carnegie Hall concert put on by John H. Hammond when Johnson unexpectedly died , Son House and Charley Patton. Several of his songs were covered by the likes of Muddy Waters and others later at Chess. Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Ray Davies and many others have claimed him as a major influence of their careers. I doubt you will get a chance to see another, let alone acquire one in your lifetime. The poster will be posted folded as I found it. Due to my remote location, work. Its unfortunate but unavoidable. The item “1951 BIG BILL BROONZY Concert BLUES Poster ORIGINAL JAZZ Festival FRANCE Abstrac” is in sale since Tuesday, September 10, 2019. This item is in the category “Entertainment Memorabilia\Music Memorabilia\Blues\Posters”. The seller is “the-seeker-kid” and is located in Niagara Falls, New York. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Iceland, Sri lanka, Viet nam, Uruguay.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: France
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Leadbelly: Robert Johnson