Political Posters

The “All Of Us Or None” (AOUON) archive project was started by Free Speech Movement activist Michael Rossman in 1977 to gather and document posters of modern progressive movements in the United States. Though some early works are included, its focus is on the domestic political poster renaissance that began in 1965 and continues to this day. When Rossman died May 12, 2008 his family donated the collection to the Oakland Museum of California. More …

The Archive gathered posters from all streams of progressive activity — from movements of protest, liberation, and affirmative action, trade union and community struggles, to electoral and environmental organizing, community services, and visionary manifestos. It is strongest in work from the San Francisco Bay Area, but its scope is national: approximately one-quarter of its holdings come from out of state, primarily New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. These are complemented by a representation of international work. The collection consists of approximately 24,500 distinct titles.

The collection includes examples from well-known graphic artists including Malaquías Montoya, Emory Douglas, Rachael Romero, Rupert Garcia, Yolanda Lopez, Favianna Rodriguez, Carlos Cortez, Nancy Hom, Juan Fuentes, and Jos Sances, as well as material from seminal collective workshops such as La Raza Silkscreen, the Royal Chicano Air Force, Japantown Art and Media, Kearny Street Workshop, and Inkworks Press. Perhaps more important, the depth and breadth of the collection reveals the contribution of numerous lesser known or even anonymous artists whose cumulative impact on this democratic public art form has yet to be properly understood.

The cataloging of the AOUON Archive was made possible by a generous grant from the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation.

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FSM 60 Jos Sances, Tim Drescher 1999 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a blue background that fades to pink towards the bottom. At the top and bootom are green, black, white, blue and pin images of people. At the center is...	untitled (three faces) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a background of swirling green and red lines with stylized color images of the faces of three female figures with blue hair and brown and orange...
Corporate Doug Minkler, artist 1990 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a dog with the head of a man, eating from a bowl with "gov" on the side and vomitting. Below the image is "Corporate" followed by a...	untitled (military base) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper with stylized images. At the bottom center is a female''s face, with her cheek leaning on the impossibly extended arm of another female figure at the...
The Naked Cult of Hickey Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a strip of green with "In Person" in red. Below the strip is "from San Francisco" followed by a green background with "the naked / cult of / hickey" in...	Imperial Orange Juice Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the center is a stylized black and white image of a bisected earth sitting on a juicer with a knife in the background and a goblet full of red liquid. At the top...
Exotic Erotic Halloween Ball 1992 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background. At the top is a color photo of a marquee reading "Abolafia & Mann''s / Exotic Erotic Halloween Ball". To the top left is "In The...	I Am Very Scared of the Things I See in This World... 1992 Poster printed on white paper with a central brown, purple, black and gray stylized image of a hand writing at the top and a typewriter at the bottom. In a strip of white at the top is "I am very...
600 Million People Want to See This Man Dead Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a red printed background. At the bottom is a color stylized image of a figure''s head with a black hood with eye and mouth holes cut out. The figure is outlined in yellow. At the top of...	How To Make People Think Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper with a stylized image of the chest of a figure in a suit with a light bulb at a head. In the bulb is "How To / Make / People / Think". Arched over the...
I Shall Continue to Be an Impossible Person Faculty Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a brown printed background. White text down the poster reads "I / shall continue / to be an / impossible / person / so long as / those who / are now / possible / remain / possible /...	Alcatraz Rock Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a silber background with two blue triangles at the top. In the triangles is the text "Alcatraz / Rock!" and "Telegraph / Hill / Dwellers / Party". At the bottom of the poster is "...
Veristic Prints by Weege William Weege 1970 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. Across the top is "Phoenix Gallery January 19 - February 21 / 2984 College Avenue - Berkeley - California". Below the text is an image of a figure...	The Main Thing in Life... Argus Communications 1973 Poster has a printed background of thick, repeating red and blue wavy lines. Yellow text reads "the main / thing in / life is not / to be afriad / to be / human. / Pablo Casals".
Voices of a People's History of the United States Alliance Graphics, Jos Sances 2006 Poster printed on white paper with red horizontal lines mimicking the American flag. At the top left is a blue tinted image of people gathered around the reflecting pool in Washington, DC. To the...	untitled (book cover) 1968 Poster has black ink printed on white paper with a black dotted background. At the center of the poster are boxes with advertisements for Bay Area companies. At the bottom are instructions for...
Synon Announces the Cure for Future Shock Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central multicolor photo of a crowd of people wearing 3D glasses. The top and bottom edges are black with "Synon Announces The Cure For Future Shock" at the top in red and "Synon/CSG...	Wisdom of Our Leaders Frank A. Rowe circa 1981 Poster printed on white paper. At the right is a stylized brown and black image of a bird with a man''s face. At the left is "Wisdom Of Our Leaders / ''the greatest problem...
Cool It Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the center is a black and white wavy line background, meant to trick the eye into seeing movement. At the top of the background is "Cool It".	Landscapes for an Accelerated Culture C. Potts 1993 Poster printed on black paper. At the center is a tall cylinder of color, blue at the left, red towards the center and yellow at the right. To the left, right and above the cylinder are lines...
Bernard Maybeck Bob Baldock, artist 1980 Poster has shades of brown ink printed on white paper with a stylized portrait of a man in a hat. At the bottom of the image is "there is something bigger & more worthwhile / than the things...	Hey Hey Ho Ho Big Fish Gotta Go 1996 Poster printed on white paper with a multicolor stylized image of a large fish formed by a school of fish consuming a smaller fish composed of a collage of images of an American flag, currency and...
untitled (abstract face) Doug Minkler, artist 1980 Poster printed on white paper with a central, stylized green, blue, orange, black, gray, and red image of the profile of a face.	untitled (abstract face) Doug Minkler, artist 1980 Poster printed on white paper with a central, stylized purple, black, gray, white and orange image of the profile of a face.