Relix Marketplace Launches Archival Poster Series Centered Around Grateful Dead’s Early ’70s Capitol Theatre Lineage

Today, Relix Marketplace has announced an archival collection of poster art inspired by the Grateful Dead’s performances at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. Included are 18 designs that commemorate the remarkable 18 concerts which occurred between 1970 and 1971. Poster designs will roll out one at a time, beginning with Chuck Sperry’s “Bertha.”

The first print in this series, “Bertha,” was created by Sperry and will be available in four editions: A primary copy on cream paper, plus three foil editions on lava foil, rainbow foil, and sparkle foil. Each print is a work of art and serves as a celebration of the timeless music and spirit of the Grateful Dead.

The “Bertha” poster celebrates the Grateful Dead’s March 20, 1970, concert at The Capitol Theatre, which served as their venue debut. The aforementioned show featured a nine-song main frame, full of favored numbers such as “Casey Jones,” “Black Peter,” “High Time,” “The Other One,” and “Cosmic Charlie,” just to name a few. 

“Through my poster design for The Capitol Theatre show on March 20, 1970, I was given the honor of revisiting the Grateful Dead at an early legendary concert. I wanted to communicate the themes of birth, rebirth and reincarnation — literally reincarnating (putting the flesh back on) the iconic Stanley Mouse / Alton Kelley icon Skull and Roses or Bertha — so I leaned on Robert Hunter’s words,” offered Sperry. 

The artist’s quote references Hunter’s words: “Bertha, I think, is probably some vaguer connotation of birth, death, and reincarnation. Cycle of existences, some kind of nonsense like that. I wouldn’t be surprised, but then again, it might not be. I don’t remember.”

Notably, Sperry resides in the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, a neighborhood known for housing the Grateful Dead and other acts that originated in the 1960s. He is known for his unique approach to rock and roll poster art, having developed his craft in the mid-80s and creating iconography for the likes of Willie Nelson, Bob Dyan and more. 

The limited edition prints will be available on Friday, Oct. 27, at noon ET, exclusively in the New Arrivals collection on Relix Marketplace. To ensure fairness, we have implemented a strict one-print-per-household policy, with no exceptions. 

Scroll down to view all four editions of Sperry’s “Bertha.”