Original 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair Poster

This original poster designed by Arnold Skolnick advertises the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, held from August 15–18, 1969, at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York. The festival would go on to become one of the largest music gatherings in history and a defining moment of 1960s counterculture.

Skolnick’s design—a boldly colored red poster with a white bird perched on a green and blue guitar—stood in striking contrast to the era’s ornate psychedelic concert posters. He was commissioned on a Thursday afternoon and delivered the finished design by 11 a.m. the following Monday.

The poster’s design not only advertised the event but also relayed the spirit of the age with the bird on the guitar neck symbolising the power of peace and music.