The NBC comedy-variety program Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In was noted for its dynamic Pop, Op, and psychedelic sets. The program’s vivid stagecraft—as well as a host of promotional artifacts issued during its five-year run—resonate with these influences. Psychedelic design, which had a brief heyday in the mid and late 1960s, combined elements of Art Nouveau, Op, and Pop with strong colors, heavy ornamentation, and a drug-infused sensibility. It was, for a time, the height of hipness. Among the most famous artifacts of the style were the psychedelic posters designed for the Fillmore East and Fillmore West, venues where the leading rock musicians played.
Bonnie Maclean, designer, poster for Eric Burdon and the Animals, Mother Earth, Hour Glass (Fillmore West), 1967. Offset lithography on paper
Laugh-In bubble-gum wrapper, c. 1968
Laugh-In book cover, NBC, 1968
Screen capture, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, NBC, 1967–1969. Color video with sound
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