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ORACLE. Oracle 1–12, complete, all signed by editor Allen Cohen. With P.O. Frisco, the Oracle’s immediate predecessor, and Harbinger, an immediate successor. Also a home-grown parody, Orifice. This set includes a virtually perfect copy of the rare split-fountain, rainbow-hued version of issue no. 6, cover by Rick Griffin. Also included are are alternative versions of issues nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10, which contained significant design changes. SF: Oracle, 1966–67. Nineteen items in all.
P. O. Frisco, signed by Allen Cohen. SF: P. O. Frisco, 2 Sept 1966. Tabloid, 12pp. Illustrated. Folded once, as issued. Slightest of yellowing. * The direct forerunner to the Oracle (“P. O.” stood for Psychedelic Oracle), P. O. Frisco was the product of an unlikely collaboration between the blossoming acidhead subculture and the rigidly doctrinaire Progressive Labor Party. “Haight-Ashbury belief systems clashed immediately... The paper died — until a group of poets and artists tried again three months later as the San Francisco Oracle, with more success.” (Abe Peck).
Oracle no. 1, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1966. Tabloid, 12pp., illustrated. Folded, as issued. Excellent copy. * The Love Pageant Rally issue.
Oracle no. 2, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1966. Tabloid, 12pp., illustrated. Folded; a fine copy. * Youth Quake issue. With two illustrations by famed Beat artist Bruce Conner.
Oracle no. 3, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1966. Tabloid, 16pp., illustrated. Folded, excellent copy. * Ken Kesey’s Graduation Party.
Oracle no. 4, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1966. Tabloid, 24pp., illustrated. Excellent. * Dr. Leary and the Love Book issue.
Oracle no. 5, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 24pp., illustrated. Unfolded. * The Be-In issue.
Oracle no. 6. First edition, rainbow cover variant. Signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Absolutely perfect. * The Aquarian Age issue. Cover by Rick Griffin. The cover price of the first printing is 15 cents.
Oracle no. 7. First edition. Signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 52pp., illustrated. Damp curled on one edge. * The Houseboat Summit issue. The first edition has a pennant-shaped bannerhead, photo credit for Paul Kagan.
Oracle no. 7. Second edition. Signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 52pp., illustrated. Excellent copy. * The Houseboat Summit issue. New cover, lacks photo credit.
Oracle no. 8. First edition, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 40pp., illustrated. A little bit yellowed. * The American Indian issue. The first edition has Gary Snyder’s “Curse on the Men in Washington, the Pentagon” on page 17.
Oracle no. 8. Second edition, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 40pp., illustrated. Excellent, unfolded. * The American Indian issue. The second edition has hippie madonna with child photo on page 17.
Oracle no. 9. Jan Conner variant, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Almost fine. * Psychedelics, Flowers and War issue. This edition’s back cover is by Jan Conner. With Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, Michael McClure, and prominent local psychics and scenesters Gavin Arthur and John Cooke.
Oracle no. 9. Mandala man variant, red cover, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Excellent. * Psychedelics, Flowers and War issue. Mandala man back cover. With Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, Michael McClure, and prominent local psychics and scenesters Gavin Arthur and John Cooke.
Oracle no. 10. Pentagon mandala edition. Blue and purple cover, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Fine copy. * The Politics of Ecstasy issue. On the back cover of this variant is a mandala designed by Peter Legeria, in advance of the Exorcism of the Pentagon on 21 October.
Oracle no. 10. Riot cop edition. Blue and magenta cover, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Spine nicked at center fold. * The Politics of Ecstasy issue. On the back cover of this edition is an anonymous collage which includes a riot cop and a man meditating in the lotus position.
Oracle no. 11. Pink and yellow cover, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1967. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Excellent. * The City of God issue. With Alan Watts, Buckminster Fuller, and Gary Snyder.
Oracle no. 12, signed by Allen Cohen. Allen Cohen, ed. SF: Oracle, 1968. Tabloid, 32pp., illustrated. Fine. * Symposium 2000 AD and the Fall issue. With ‘Tap City,’ by Lew Welch; and Philip Whalen, Michael McClure, and art by Alton Kelley, Bob Schnepf, and Martin Linhart.

From top to bottom:
P.O. Frisco, Oracle no. 6, Oracle no. 8, and Harbinger.
Harbinger. Middletown, Calif.: Harbinger University Press, [July] 1968. Tabloid, 24pp. Slight foxing near spine, bright copy. * One-shot tabloid published by the Oracle staff after they left the city; in essence and substance, the thirteenth issue of the Oracle. First appearances of Tim Leary’s “Declaration of Evolution” and “Government Violations and Non-Violent Hippies.” Also “Psychedelics and Religious Experience” by Alan Watts, “Introduction to ‘Lightshow’” by Michael Hollingshead, more.
Orifice. Ben Fong-Torres, editor. SF: SF State College Daily Gater, [1967]. Tabloid, 8pp. Illustrated. Fine. * One-off parody of the Oracle, edited by Ben Fong-Torres when he was a student at SF State.
The collection of nineteen Oracles and associated publications. sold
A full run of the legendary psychedelic newspaper of the Haight-Ashbury, plus associated publications. Editor Allen Cohen likes to call it “The Rosetta Stone of the Hippies.” Pioneering in its use of graphics, split-stream printing and underground distribution network, the Oracle served as spokesman, catalyst, conscience, and subsistence livelihood for the Haight.
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