The Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster

The Story

[TEDIUM ALERT: The following is a detailed accounting of how the Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster made its way from a crumbling artifact to something you can have for your very own. If you'd prefer to just cut to the chase, I suggest you scroll down to the Order button.]

It's no secret that I have a special love for just about everything associated with Robert Nelson, and for many years I've hosted what I believe to be the only Robert Nelson tribute website on the web. If you're not familiar with Nelson (and if you're not, why are you even reading this?), click HERE for a quick way to come up to speed.

For some reason that not even I can rationally explain, I've tried to collect everything Nelson ever published, including the catalogs he began putting out in 1921. I can't begin to count the hours I've spent pouring over the Nelson Enterprises catalogs, wishing that I had been born 75 years sooner, if only so I could order everything in them.

One item especially intrigued me:

With an interest bordering on obsession, I searched high and low trying to find an original Nelson Zodiac Poster, to no avail. I knew that many original Nelson products could be found on eBay, and I waited in vain for years, hoping that someone might find one of these beauties in their grandfather magician's props trunk. Alas, it was not to be.

Then one day I was chatting with a customer (and in retrospect, I'd have to say 'dear friend') who shared my deep appreciation for all things Nelson. I mentioned my search for the zodiac poster, and he casually said, "I have two of those -- would you like one?"

I just about fell off my chair.

A week later, a U.S. Priority Mail package arrived, and I could barely contain my excitement as I carefully opened it. Inside was what I had been seeking for years -- an original vintage Nelson Zodiac Poster.

To say it had seen better times would be a gross understatement. Pieces of it fell off, despite my careful handling. Portions of the original ink were long gone, leaving to the imagination what had been there when Nelson had shipped it to its original owner.

I gingerly rolled it back up, put it back in the mailing tube, and spent the next few years considering what to do with it.

Several months ago, I finally decided I had waited long enough, and felt that I needed to share this treasure with others who were afflicted with the same Nelsonmania as I.

The first step was to take it to a professional graphics shop and get it scanned, which sounds easy enough, but in my tiny corner of New England there is only one place that has a scanner big enough to handle the dimensions of the poster. As I left, they told me they couldn't guarantee the quality of the final scan, given the age and condition of the original poster. In fact, they said, there was even a chance the poster might be further damaged in the scanning process. Great, I thought.

A week later, I put the CD containing the scanned poster into my computer and opened it in PhotoShop. Talk about suspense -- the file size was so huge, it took 15 minutes to open, an eternity during which I wondered if the image would even be usable. When it finally opened, I was thrilled to see that the scanned image was a perfect representation of the original. And then it sank in: the scanned image WAS perfect -- a perfect reproduction of a damaged, decrepit poster (take a look at just two of the examples below). Who would want such a thing (save a true Nelsonmaniac like me)?

I considered undertaking the restoration process myself, but soon realized it was way beyond my limited PhotoShop abilities, so I approached a graphics designer I had worked with in the past and asked him if there was any way he'd be interested in pouring a ton of time into restoring the poster to its former glory.

Oddly enough, he became as fixated on the project as I was. It was almost as if the poster had some magical quality that enchanted anyone who gazed on it. Months went by, during which I would get calls from the graphics designer telling me of the progress he was making. Many portions of the poster were destroyed beyond repair, and "best guesses" had to be made as to what had been there before the ink had chipped off.

Finally, one day he called me and said it was done -- would I have time to come look at what the final version looked like? I think he was still hanging up the phone when I was knocking on his door. He pulled the poster up on his computer and waited for my assessment.

"Unbelievable," I said, "Simply unbelievable."

The restored 32" x 44" poster

Not only had he restored the poster to its original grandeur, but he had somehow managed to retain the "vintage" feel, something I was afraid would be lost in the restoration process.

The next step was to find a printer who could handle the project, which was easier said than done, given where I live. We put the project out to bid nationwide, and were stunned at some of the prices that came back. We finally went with a Vermont company who came close to the best bid, just because we like to keep things local whenever we can. The day I went to approve the sample proof of the poster was one I will always remember, because it was the first time I was able to see what the original poster must have looked like 75 years ago -- a thing of mystical beauty.

The Limited Edition

I know of only two other people besides myself who own an original Nelson Zodiac Poster, and we all treasure them greatly. I wrestled with myself for weeks, wondering whether the release of a replica would cheapen the value of the originals, and finally decided that if anything, the originals would have even greater value, since they are, after all, the genuine article.

The Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster is a very good reproduction, but it will never be confused with the original poster. The paper and ink are different, and there are subtle differences in some of the design elements. But the impact of the poster remains, and if you've never seen the original, the experience is identical .

The description in the original catalog is a fairly accurate one for the Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster. It measures 32" by 44", making it perfect for hanging in your office or behind your table at a psychic fair. The only discrepancy is that while the original poster is described as being printed in two colors, it is actually comprised of four colors (light blue, dark blue, tan and white). The poster is printed on heavy matte stock and ships rolled in a mailing tube.

As you can see from the image above, the poster features the twelve signs of the zodiac, each with their corresponding icon, astrological symbol, dates, and associated part of the body ruled by the individual sign.

In order to preserve the collectible aspect of the Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster, the print run will be limited to 100 numbered prints.

The Bottom Line

If you're ready to order the Nelson Tribute Zodiac Poster, simply click on the Add To Cart button below.

THE NELSON TRIBUTE ZODIAC POSTER

Only $110

(Postpaid to domestic US; all others pay actual shipping)