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Lot #7186
Grateful Dead Archive of Barbara Whitestone - Rare Posters, Photographs, Backstage Passes, and Insider Ephemera (600+ Items)

Grateful Dead insider's archive of Bay Area rock memorabilia including posters by Rauschenberg, Moscoso, and Kelley

Estimate: $10000+

The 30 Minute Rule begins June 18 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By June 18 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT

Server Time: 5/19/2026 12:31:15 PM EDT
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Description

Grateful Dead insider's archive of Bay Area rock memorabilia including posters by Rauschenberg, Moscoso, and Kelley

Massive archive of original Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Bill Graham, and Bay Area music memorabilia assembled and preserved by longtime insider Barbara Whitestone, spanning the late 1960s through the mid-1990s. The expansive collection encompasses psychedelic concert posters, signed photographs, backstage passes and laminates, production proofs, original promotional materials, rare Grateful Dead Records ephemera, handbills, tour artifacts, artist-signed material, and behind-the-scenes documents chronicling decades of Grateful Dead history and the broader San Francisco rock scene.

Among the archive’s most significant pieces is a Robert Rauschenberg limited-edition Grateful Dead “Benefit Performance for the Rainforest” poster from Madison Square Garden in 1988, signed in pencil by the artist and numbered “2/250.” Also featured are three copies of the scarce Europe ’72 “Black Book” distributed at the Grateful Dead’s legendary Lyceum Theatre performances in London; an original promotional photograph signed in gold ink by Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir; original 1967 Victor Moscoso Neon Rose psychedelic posters; unused Grateful Dead Fall 1971 tour poster blanks by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse; and a signed Alton Kelley “Family Dogma Revival” poster from 1974.

The archive further includes extensive Grateful Dead backstage laminates and all-access credentials from tours spanning the 1980s and 1990s; rare Grateful Dead Records and Round Records promotional postcard sets preserved in exceptional condition; original “Wake of the Flood” proof sheets and album production materials; signed Bob Weir “Panther Dream” posters; rare Grateful Dead Records stationery and internal office ephemera; original photographs featuring Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Bill Graham, Mickey Hart, Donna Godchaux, and other members of the extended Grateful Dead family; as well as Bill Graham memorial material, SEVA Foundation posters, Weir/Wasserman tour memorabilia, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival artist credentials.

Particularly noteworthy is the archive’s remarkable concentration of insider material—working proofs, backstage credentials, promotional stock, stationery, fan correspondence, and tour ephemera—offering an unusually intimate and authentic glimpse into the business and community surrounding the Grateful Dead organization during its most influential decades. A deeply personal and museum-worthy collection with exceptional provenance and broad appeal to collectors of rock history, psychedelic art, counterculture ephemera, and Grateful Dead memorabilia.

A complete inventory is available here.

Interested parties are encouraged to view the collection in person at our offices or call us with specific inquiries, as this collection is sold as is and no returns will be accepted.

Auction Info