RARE Vtg. 70's Poster Famous Anti War Poem The Box By Kendrew Lascelles

Description: For your consideration is an extremely rare item. I always give my buyers full provenance and background information when I list something that is particularly unusual, and this item is that item! My mother was an English teacher back in the 1970's and acquired this poster (probably from an educational outlet), which features a very famous anti-war poem titled The Box by Kendrew Lascelles in 1970. This was during the era of the Vietnam war with volatile protests around the nation against the war. Kendrew Lascelles wrote this poem which he performed on the Smothers Brothers Show, and also by singer John Denver on his album. From Wikipedia: Kendrew Lascelles (pronounced Lassels; 20 September 1935 – 1 March 2022) was an English-born actor, performer and writer from South Africa] His works are known for raising the profile of issues of major social conscience, particularly the Vietnam War. Some of his most notable works include The Box, an iconic poem first recited by him on The Smothers Brothers Summer Show on the ABC TV network in the summer of 1970, and was later performed by John Denver on his 1971 album Poems, Prayers & Promises] The Smothers Brothers Show received four million contacts and one million letters from fans after The Box was performed by Lascelles on the show. _________________________________________ This poem was such a beautiful and stunning piece of literature that it became very famous across the United States and the world. Many teachers wanted to share this dramatic poem with their students, to make them think and inspire them. It was a hugely famous poem in that era. It may not be as well known in our current era , which is unfortunate, because it is just as relevant in today's unsettled world. I inherited many of my mom's teaching materials that she kept for sentimental reasons, and this poster was among her possessions. I am downsizing a lot of my collections, and would feel blessed if this unique item could find a new home! I did a lot of research into this poster online and was unable to find another one anywhere. I also contacted someone at a website who was an associate of Kendrew Lascelles and he had never seen this item either. I did a google lens search which also failed to locate any image that matched this poster. This leads me to believe that this is an exceedingly rare item. It could be that it was never sold to the general public and was only made available through educational outlets directly to teachers. I have not been able to confirm that. However, I think that's the likeliest scenario. Condition: This poster was stored rolled in a loose roll for several decades and that has caused some creasing. The creasing is very difficult to see on the front of the poster. The poem itself is printed against a dark shaded design in the background (that's not a crease in the background, that's part of the design) . If you were to professionally frame and mount this poster, the minimal creasing would not be noticeable. The paper is a nice quality stock...not sure precisely what type of paper, but it's not lightweight thin paper. The other issue regarding condition is that the right hand edge of the poster most likely was trimmed/cut so that the poem, The Box, would be the featured item. I suspect that this poster was larger originally and might have contained other artwork or quotations and my mom wanted The Box to be the "stand out" thing. She displayed it on her classroom bulletin board for her students to admire and see. The right side edge is not quite as straight as the left side. But unless you are really looking for it, you won't notice this. The back of the poster is blank (no printing or writing). There is also no copyright information or year of printing. It may have existed originally on the right side that was trimmed off. My best estimate as to the date of this poster is 1970 or 1971 Probably no later than that, as my mom didn't teach high school level past 1974 and she utilized this poster in her classroom. There is some toning/discoloration on the back of the poster due to being rolled/stored for many years. See photos for best idea of condition. The poster features what appears to be a facsimile or reproduction of Kendrew Lascelles' signature at the bottom in white lettering. There's also a cool graphic at the bottom depicting the forbidden "box" shown in gold/ yellow coloration. So cool and so unusual! See photos. To flatten this poster, you can apply an iron on very low heat and that will flatten it. I did this to take the main photos for the listing. Size: approximately 9 inches wide x 30 inches long. I will ship this poster in a very loose roll in a box (not in a tube). I don't want to roll it tightly in a tube as I think it might stress the paper and I don't want to risk creating a tear. I will be happy to answer questions about this item to the best of my ability. I've done my best to research it and provide the most accurate description I can. If you are a collector of vintage posters from the late 60's or 70's, this one would make a one of kind addition to your vintage collection. If you are an admirer of the stunning talent of writer/poet Kendrew Lascelles who passed away in 2022 at the age of 86, or a supporter of anti war / peace movement sentiments, The Box is a noteworthy and famous offering that would look amazing framed on your wall. I ship promptly in 1-2 business days and will pack carefully so that this special item reaches you in the best condition possible. Thank you for looking at this one of a kind poster!

Price: 29.95 USD

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

End Time: 2025-01-20T19:41:25.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10 USD