1960s & 70s Ephemera • Psychedelia • Typography • Op & Pop Art • Mod Miscellanea

Hallmark PSYCHEDELIA ☜

I have a particularly soft spot for Hallmark and American Greetings’ unique brands of psychedelia. As legitimate hippy culture started to fade in the late 1960s, the wider public began to embrace the style of the psychedelic poster and underground press. Hallmark, along with other crowd-pleasing companies, were quick to respond, creating a colorful blend of psychedelic graphics and pop art. These “mod” pieces may lack the edge and authenticity of the counterculture movements that inspired them, but behind their smooth edges and sugary sentiments are some expertly executed (and wonderfully weird) examples of 1960s and ’70s graphic design.