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Joe Cicero Sr., the longtime owner of Globe Poster, passed away yesterday. Joe, 91, had been battling diabetes for the past few years.
Located in Highlandtown, Globe is best known for its splash-y, Day-glo poster designs for the likes of James Brown, Otis Redding, and B.B. King. Joe started working at Globe in 1934, worked his way up, and eventually bought the company in 1975. He retired in 1988 but showed up regularly at the shop for years after that.
He was particularly proud of the attention Globe's work has gotten over the past decade or so. It's been featured in The Art of Rock (an Abbeville Press coffee table book) and Rolling Stone magazine. Globe's posters are also in collections at Cooper-Hewitt, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The Creative Alliance also mounted an exhibition of Globe's work 10 years ago.
Alex Castro and I have been working on a Globe documentary, and we've interviewed fans such John Waters, Solomon Burke, and Rosa Pryor. It will also include interview footage of Joe and his sons—Bob, Frank, and Joe Jr.—who all work at Globe.
Joe was a gentleman and a good friend. He will be missed.
