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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Take Me - I'm Ready! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top left is an image of a sheep with a speech bubble reading "Americans! / get ready to play / the sweepstakes / of the / century!" At the top...	Ugly Americanism Peg Averill, artist, The Print Shop, printer c. 1989 Poster has a light red background with an image at the bottom and black text above. The image is of a man dressed like Uncle Sam holding buildings. On one building is a sign with "Now Showing...
While There Is A Lower Class I Am In It Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on red paper with the text "While There / Is A Lower / Class / I Am In It, / While There Is / A Criminal / Element / I Am Of It, / And / While There / Is A Soul / In...	Walt Whitman Hugo Gellert, artist Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is an illustration of an elderly man''s face. At the bottom left are excerpts from Whitman''s poem "To a foil
Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "The Apostles'' Poster, Right?" The rest of the poster has distinct sections of black text about topics like the British Movement,...	The World Declaration of Independence 1983 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "the world declaration of independence / July 4, 1984 / directed at all abusive forms of government, all mercenary and ideological super...
One Dollar's Worth 1979 Poster has black ink printed on white paper and is designed to look like a dollar bill with "1"s in the corners. At the top is "One Dollar''s Worth / Guilt Through Association - money giggles in...	How to Make Enemies and Irritate People Inkworks Press, printer 1994 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a color photo of a race car rounding a corner. At the top is "The Most Important Lesson / Ever Learned In A Race Car..." in white. At the bottom of the...
Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is a box outlined in black with the text "We Wouldn''t Trade / With Hitler / Why Trade With / Communists?" at the top and an illustration...	Tom Scribner: Musician - Revolutionary Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on light brown paper with a photo of a man in hat inspecting an instrument bow. At the bottom of the poster is "Tom Scribner / Musician-Revolutionary".
Murderers in Deep Shit Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper with a stylized illustration of anthropomorphic rats pouring out of a neoclassical building holding bombs/missiles. The two central columns of the...	The Circus of Mysteries 1989 Poster has black ink printed on white paper with a list of unusual spectacles reminiscent of "freak show" acts. At the top is "Prepare To Be Astounded! / Davy Normal & The Artist''s Network...
World of Pooh Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the center is a stylized illustration of an explosion on a street, injuring the people around. At the top and bottom are black background with white...	Saint Stupid's Day Parade Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background with scattered images of caution/notice signs. At the top is a stylized image of a figure with a halo over his head. At the bottom is...
Wicked Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white background photo of a man performing a trick in the air on a skateboard in a skate park. At the top right is "Sunday, April 27th / Wicked / proudly presents: / a pro...	NO On Prop 54 Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed with black and yellow ink on white paper. The background has four alternating horizontal stripes of black and yellow, with narrow bands at top and bottom and two wide bands in the...
Fascism: The 14 Common Elements Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "fascism: the 14 common elements" found by political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt to be true of the fascist regimes of Germany, Italy,...	Futures Lab Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red and green ink printed on yellow paper. At the top is "futures lab". At the center is the earth, surrounded by a geometirc net. At the bottom are two columns about the Futures Lab...
untitled (coitus) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized color image of a man and woman engaged in coitus behind a transparent green sheet. The man reaches under the sheet to put a pipe in the woman''s mouth. Poster has Asian...	Rise Up Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper with a background of gray words in a grafitti typeface and a black border. At the center is an illustration of a man in a mask with his fist raised...
It's Right to Rebel Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white image of a man with his back toward the viewer running down a street towards a line of police officers with plastic shields. At the bottom in a grafitti font is "It''s...	Robotiks Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the center is an illustration of a man in a white lab coat with the names of government agencies over the chest saying "My Computer''s Acting /...
Is America Broken? 2007 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of four figures pushing a top hat with a patriotic red, white and blue design over the edge of a cliff. At the top left is "Is America...	Untitled Inkworks Press, printer 2007 Poster has a gray background and an unprinted white border overall. The top edge of the poster has a rectangular, red field with text in tan: " ''Parenti is a towering prophetic voice