Bill Monroe Poster Appraisal

Vintage Bill Monroe Boxing Style Concert Poster

This is a vintage-style 'boxing' letterpress concert poster for the WSM Grand Ole Opry presentation of Bill Monroe in Douglas, Georgia. The poster is printed on a rectangular off-white cardstock featuring bold black and red ink. It measures approximately 14x22 inches, a standard size for show cards of this era. The layout includes large, blocky typography announcing the venue as 'HI SCHOOL GYM' on Friday, Jan. 24. A central black-and-white halftone photograph depicts Bill Monroe playing his mandolin. The poster lists supporting acts including the Blue Grass Boys, Blue Grass Quartet, and Shenandoah Valley Trio. The craftsmanship indicates a traditional letterpress method, likely produced by a company like Hatch Show Print given the distinctive font and red border design. Regarding condition, the piece shows some bowing and slight creasing, suggestive of a souvenir or a reproduction rather than an original 1950s-era artifact, specially noting the clean edges and lack of substantial foxing or staple holes typically found on authentic street-posted advertisements. The lack of a specific year on the poster is characteristic of period show prints, but the overall aesthetic suggests a 1950s style.