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🏀 Harlem Globetrotters – 1978 – Original A1 Poster | 84.1 × 59.4 cm | West Germany
€240Bid from €150
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Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 10 sales
Product description
🏀 Harlem Globetrotters – 1978 – Original A1 Poster | Friedrich‑Ebert‑Halle, Ludwigshafen, West Germany
One‑night engagement at Friedrich‑Ebert‑Halle | Donnerstag, 4. Mai 1978, 19 Uhr
Offset lithograph | 84.1 × 59.4 cm | West Germany
🎬 Introduction
A buoyant tour sheet for the Harlem Globetrotters’ 1978 appearance in Ludwigshafen, this A1 offset lithograph distills late‑1970s European poster vernacular into a crisp, high‑impact composition. A large, airbrushed portrait anchors the sheet, ringed by five smaller action figures spinning bright orange balls—an orbit of motion that reads instantly at distance. The arched “HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS” masthead in red and blue, punctuated by stars, telegraphs American showmanship against a sky‑blue vignette and clean cream margins.
At the foot, the German venue line fixes a precise time and place—Friedrich‑Ebert‑Halle, Thursday 4 May 1978, 7 pm—shifting this from generic promotion to an event‑specific artifact. Strong color separations and crisp outlines give it a poster‑gallery presence, while the localized typography situates the team’s theatrics within a distinctly West German context.
✨ Why It Matters
Unlike stock publicity pieces, European date‑specific Globetrotters sheets were typically printed in small numbers for municipal distribution and discarded post‑show, making surviving A1 examples notably scarcer. This German‑language variant appeals across collecting lanes: sports ephemera, African‑American popular culture, and post‑war European graphic design. The municipal imprinting (organizer credit and local contact) signals a modest run, while the portrait‑plus‑vignette layout captures the troupe’s blend of athleticism and theater that helped popularize basketball internationally during the Cold War. Its bright, airbrushed illustration and confident masthead also echo broader late‑’70s continental poster craft—clean geometry, saturated inks, and export‑ready spectacle.
📐 Poster Details
- Year: 1978
- Country: West Germany
- Size: 84.1 × 59.4 cm
- Format: DIN A1
- Studio / Publisher: Ludwigshafener Betriebs GmbH; for Friedrich‑Ebert‑Halle, Ludwigshafen
- Printed in France
🔎 Condition
Very good vintage condition with sharp corners and vibrant, unfaded colors. Minor edge wear from storage; light handling folds from original distribution (no hard creases). The sheet lies flat and frames beautifully with strong wall presence.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsMulti Color, WhiteMaterialPaperNumber of items1OrientationPortraitArt sizeMediumHeight84 cmWidth59 cmSigns of usageWrinkles
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Seller information
About this seller
Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 10 sales