Glam Rock (October 28, 1972) – “Giant Posters” Advert
This 1972 mail-order advertisement offers a striking snapshot of the stars being marketed to British pop and rock fans at the height of the glam era. The poster selection includes Alice Cooper, Slade, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Gary Glitter, Donny Osmond, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, David Cassidy and Gilbert O’Sullivan, with several artists available in large full-colour poster formats.
Date: October 28, 1972
Country: United Kingdom
Advertiser: Permaprints
Item: Mail-order music posters
THE ADVERT
Headed “GIANT POSTERS: 40" × 30" – Low prices 60p”, the advertisement promotes a range of large-format posters available by mail order.
The first three posters are described as 40" × 30" full-colour editions priced at 60p each:
No. 1 – Alice Cooper
No. 2 – Slade
No. 3 – Donny Osmond
A second group, numbered 4-10, is advertised in 33" × 24" colour format at 70p each.
The advert combines individual portraits, group photographs and live performance images, giving prospective buyers a visual preview of the available designs.
ALICE COOPER
Alice Cooper appears twice in the range.
No. 1 – Alice Cooper
The first Alice Cooper design belongs to the largest 40" × 30" full-colour series and is priced at 60p.
No. 9 – Alice Cooper
A second Alice Cooper design is included among the 33" × 24" colour posters priced at 70p.
The presence of two separate designs gives Alice Cooper particularly strong representation within the advertised range.
SLADE
Slade are also represented twice.
No. 2 – Slade
The first Slade poster is a 40" × 30" full-colour design priced at 60p.
No. 11 – Slade
A further poster is advertised as a 28" × 20" black-and-white group design priced at 35p.
DAVID BOWIE
David Bowie is listed as:
No. 4 – David Bowie
The design forms part of the colour poster range advertised at 33" × 24" and 70p.
MARC BOLAN / T. REX
Marc Bolan receives two poster numbers, shown together across the centre of the advertisement:
No. 5 – Marc Bolan
No. 6 – Marc Bolan
The advert labels the pair:
“5) MARC & 6) BOLAN”
providing two different Marc Bolan designs within the 33" × 24" colour range.
His inclusion alongside Alice Cooper, Slade and David Bowie places T. Rex firmly within the group of artists being heavily marketed to poster-buying music fans in late 1972.
GARY GLITTER
The advertisement includes:
No. 10 – Gary Glitter
This design appears within the 33" × 24" colour range.
OTHER POSTERS
The remaining artists advertised include:
No. 3 – Donny Osmond
No. 7 – Cat Stevens
No. 8 – Neil Young
No. 11a – Elvis Presley
No. 12 – David Cassidy
No. 13 – Gilbert O’Sullivan
The Elvis poster is advertised as 33" × 24" colour at 95p.
David Cassidy is offered as a 56" × 20" giant colour poster priced at 65p.
Gilbert O’Sullivan is offered as a 33" × 24" colour poster priced at 70p.
POSTER RANGE
No. | Artist |
1 | Alice Cooper |
2 | Slade |
3 | Donny Osmond |
4 | David Bowie |
5 | Marc Bolan |
6 | Marc Bolan |
7 | Cat Stevens |
8 | Neil Young |
9 | Alice Cooper |
10 | Gary Glitter |
11 | Slade |
11a | Elvis Presley |
12 | David Cassidy |
13 | Gilbert O’Sullivan |
ORDERING INFORMATION
The advert asks customers to add 15p postage and packing to their order.
A free colour catalogue of the wider Permaprints range was supplied with every order.
The printed mail-order address is:
Permaprints (Dept. MM2)9 Lower John StreetLondon W1A 4YN
Customers wanting only the catalogue were asked to send 10p in stamps or postal order.
The order form also states:
“Money refunded if not satisfied.”
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The advertisement provides a particularly good contemporary snapshot of the crossover between glam rock, mainstream pop and established rock artists in the poster market of 1972.
For the Glam Rock Chronicle, the concentration of Alice Cooper, Slade, David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter within the same advertisement is especially notable.
Rather than documenting records or concerts, this clipping shows how music stars were being marketed visually as bedroom-wall posters and fan collectibles.
Marc Bolan, Alice Cooper and Slade each receive more than one design, demonstrating the breadth of imagery available for some of the period's most prominent performers.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Permaprints music poster advertisement
Date: October 28, 1972
Era: 1972 glam-rock period
Largest Posters: 40" × 30"
Lowest Advertised Price: 35p for the black-and-white Slade poster
Principal Glam Artists: Alice Cooper, Slade, David Bowie, Marc Bolan
WHAT THE ADVERT SHOWS
• Two Alice Cooper poster designs
• Two Slade poster designs
• David Bowie represented in the colour range
• Two separate Marc Bolan poster numbers
• Gary Glitter represented in the colour range
• Donny Osmond, Cat Stevens and Neil Young also available
• Separate Elvis Presley, David Cassidy and Gilbert O’Sullivan posters
• Poster formats ranging from black-and-white to giant full-colour editions
• A mail-order snapshot of the stars being marketed to British music fans during 1972
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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