Thursday, August 21, 2014

Rhythm Alley Redux - Post(er)script

While in Chapel Hill recently for the Be Loud! Sophie concert, world-renowned urban archaeologist, author and all-around swell guy Peter "PC" Cashwell took some time to do some digging in the old Chapel Hill town landfill in Carolina North Forest and unearthed what appear to be early attempts at pre-Internet advertising utilizing actual paper and a technique then known as "photocopying".  Obviously the paper itself is way too fragile to be handled but PC has graciously digitized these "posters" and made them available for your edutainment.  I have attempted to present them in a chronological order.

An early attempt at what became known as "poster art"

Odd hieroglyphics that are completely untranslatable to modern man

Here we see a somewhat more mature approach, at least featuring likenesses of members of the performing troupe


The last two known works of the Hammondiluvian period

Note the complete absence of any mention of Screamin' Jay Hawkins - you will be tested on the significance of that omission

An attempt to add some gravitas to the proceedings with the likeness of a well-loved childhood authority figure

I got nothing

As we move closer to modern times, sexuality becomes more a part of advertising, despite the evident disapproval of the mustachioed gentleman in the corner

This text-heavy example is a case-study in TMI - this style was used a few years later in the early World Wide Web era, spawning a number of "World's Worst Website" collections

This one is perfect


Two takes on a much-appreciated attempt to save a valuable historical landmark from the bulldozer.  Lord knows it helped.

If anyone else has any such finds, please feel free to send them to me for publication.


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2 Comments:

At 6:07 AM, Blogger Tony Plutonium said...

In case it's not obvious, you can click on a poster to enbiggen it.

PC, thanks so much for scanning these and allowing me to post them. I was fortunate enough to be present for most (hell, maybe all) of these shows - you guys were so much fun!

 
At 12:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tony, I'm trying to read the rhythm alley posts in order, but I can't seem to access anything before part 10. Could you link to all of them somewhere? Pretty please?
Love, Lex's sister

 

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