Bob Masse poster - Pink Floyd, The Marquee, London, 15 March 1966

Original v. after-the-event

During September 2025 the writer was shown a poster relating to a Pink Floyd concert in London during 1966. It was by Bob Masse and in the Art Nouveau style. As a collector of original 1960s rock art posters and ephemera, the writer wondered whether the item in question was original or a later work of art? This article investigates that.

Bob Masse (born 5 April 1945) is a Canadian artist who has worked in the United States and Canada since the mid' 1960s, specialising in Art Nouveau rock art posters (Erlewine 2009, Wikipedia 2025). As of September 2025 he remains a practicing, commercial artist, still operating in the rock music field and beyond. Numerous websites refer to his work, and it is readily available through online stores and auction houses, including eBay, Amazon and Heritage Auctions. His work is usually undated - apart from the dates of events represented - and can often post-date actual events. In the case of the Pink Floyd poster seen at right, it would appear this is one such case.

According to a user comment in a Reddit entry for the poster, it is stated that it is not an original event poster as such, but a 2005 work by Masse (Pockaleelee 2018). 

Bob Masse's art is a problem because he produces after-the-event posters for famous rock concerts that many believe are original posters for those concerts. The above Pink Floyd poster is a perfect example. Whilst the posters are very attractive, they are not original - apart from being originals by the artist - and are therefore deceptive for those fans of the bands, of the period and collectors of original rock poster art. Ideally, Masse would have dated all his posters so that such confusion would not be the problem that it has become. For example, during 1968 he actually produced an original poster featuring a concert by the British rock band the Yardbirds. In 1999 he reprinted it. In the latter instance the dates of the original and the reprint were included. This is the ideal situation.

Bob Masse, 1968, reprinted 1999.

On the Bob Masse website there is a listing of poster projects completed between 1966 and 2022, including a second Pink Floyd poster, described as follows: Pink Floyd / January 5 1967 / the Marquee, 90 Wardour St. London W1 / Designed by Bob Masse Studios / copyright 2021 Pink Floyd (1987) Ltd. Under license to Perryscope Productions LLC. / Printed in Canada.

The difference between original event posters and after-the-event posters, along with those actually by Bob Masse or by the Bob Masse Studios is therefore somewhat confused.

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References

Erlewine, Michael, Biography of artist Bob Masse, Spirit Grooves Dharma Grooves, 19 December 2009.

Pockaleelee, Pink Floyd signed poster (Bob Masse) that I added to the collection, Reddit, r/pinkfloyd, 2018. 

Wikipedia, Bob Masse, Wikipedia, accessed 25 September 2025. 

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Music posters: Alice - Avalon Ballroom poster 1968 | Big O Posters 1967-70, | Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back 1967 & 1969 | Bob Masse | Free | Joe Gomez Avalon Ballroom Poster 1967 | Lee Conklin | Martin Sharp's Roundhouse UFO poster 1967 | MO Collection | Nigel Mentzel Psychedelic Posters | Oo Oo Ah Ah Oo Ah Ah Dance 1979 | Psychedelic and counterculture posters in situ 1967-71 | Splash Posters, London, 1960s - 1970s | Toby Zoates | Victor Moscoso | Yardbirds |

Last updated: 25 September 2025

Michael Organ, Australia

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