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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What the #$! Do We (k)now!? 2004 Poster is an advertisement for a film titled "What the #$! Do We (k)now!?" The top has a blue background, with the film name printed across the top in white. Borders of the blue formed by Greek...	Untitled 1988 Poster has greay printed edges enclosing a black and white illustration of a crowd of people wearing gas masks. On the bottom edge is "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled / Masses Yearning...
I Got My Job Through Phase II Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on green paper. At the top is "I got my job / through phase II". Below the text is a photo of an unemployed man selling apples in front of the Capitol building.	Economic Justice Inkworks Press, printer, Nancy Hom, artist 1988 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized pink, blue and black image of a family of three with gaping mouths in front of farm land and a city skyline. At the bottom of the poster is...
An Issue of Life or Debt 1987 Poster has green and yellow ink printed on white paper. At the top is "who owes whom?!/project Abraco / presents a conference on the Third World Debt Crisis / in solidarity with the Continental...	To Get a Picture of How Much $1 Trillion Can Buy... Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black text printed in white paper offering an illustration of how much $1 trillion could buy in a Midwest town for forever, ending with a comment on how the government was planning to...
The New School for Democratic Management Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has blue ink printed on yellow paper. At the top is "The / New School For / Democratic / Management / is coming to" followed by "San Francisco / August 5-10" in a blue strip. At the center...	Steele 2005 Poster printed on white paper with a split yellow and red background. At the top is "are big / business, / government / and / Wall Street / undermining / the American / Dream?" in black. Near the...
Welcome to Phase Three Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has blue ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Welcome To / Phase Three". At the center is a stylized image of a crazed looking man holding a dead chicken by the neck. At the bottom is...	Mass Proletarian War Crimes Tribunal of U.S. Imperialism Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on blue paper. At the top is an illustration of an eagle''s head. Text overlaid on the image reads "Opens April 24 thru 26 in San Francisco / Mass Proletarian / War...
Cybersex Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and pink ink printed on white paper. At the top is "One Night Only" in black and a pink box with "Stephen Parr presents / Cybersex / An Evening Of / Futuristic Delights " in white...	Sin City Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has pink and black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "stephen parr and tornado present / sex and mayhem in" in black and "Sin City!" in white in a pink box. The date, May 10, is in...
Smut Fest Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and pink ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Stephen Parr and Jennifer Blowdryer present / One Night Only From New York City" in black and a pink box with "Smut / Fest /...	Smut Fest Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and pink ink printed on white paper. At the center is a photo of a naked woman sitting on a stool with her legs spread open. At the top is "Stephen Parr & Jennifer Blowdryer...
Stevie Stiletto 1988 Poster has black ink printed on white paper with text reading "Stevie / Stiletto / presents a cock opera in three parts / Dog Fucker / At The / Chatterbox / 853 Valencia Street / Plus Special...	Stevie Stiletto Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on yellow paper with the text "Sat. May 13th / In Cooperation w/KFUK and ''Liz'' / Stevie / Stiletto / Presents... / A Cock Opera In 3 Parts / Dog / Fucker / Covered...
Galas Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the right is a color photo of a figure in heavy black make-up singing into a microphone. At the top of the image is "Galas" in white. At the top left is the SF...	The Velvet Hammer Burlesque 1995 Poster has a multi-colored image as a background. The image is of a scantily clad woman dancing with a trio of men playing instruments in the background and wearing turbans. Poster reads, "Sunset...
Independientes y Orgullosos Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white background image of four female figures posing in graduation caps and gowns. Overlaid at the bottom of the image are color photos of two female figures working and...	Cynthia McKinney: Confronting Empire 2003 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a color photo of a woman in a red suit standing in front of the dome of the Capitol. At the top is "Fourth Redwood / Sequoia Congress 2003 / Presents...
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney 2007 Poster has a colorful background formed by red, yellow, green, orange, purple, and blue boxes. At the top is a list of presenters followed by a black box with "Congresswoman" in orange and "...	Democracy and Global Islam Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the right is a stylized image of a blue symbol, pixelated. At the right is "UC Berkeley Center on Institutions and Governance / democracy and / global Islam"...
By Any Means Necessary? Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and red ink printed peach colored paper. At the top is a strip of red with presenters listed in black followed by a black and white photo of a figure sitting in the street wearing...	The Real State of the Union 2004 Poster printed on white paper. At the left is a blue background with a white star and blue overlaid text listing national issues. At the top left is "The / Real / State of the Union" in white with...