In the '90s, Globe posters began getting recognition as pieces of artwork with their unique aesthetic, which came as a surprise to Bob Cicero. "We just knew what we liked and how we liked it.

He was 80. His firm, Globe Poster Printing, produced the placards for generations of R&B artists. Its work for the Motown Revue packed the names of the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the ...