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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A Rainbow Film Festival 1988 Poster printed on white paper. At the top are red, blue, green and yellow lines with a film strip arch over a director''s chair and the text "The Media Project Presents / A Rainbow / Film /...	San Francisco Folk Workshop Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has marker on paperboard. At the center is a stylized red and blue outline of the head of a guitar. At the top is "S / F / F / W" in red. At the bottom are details for the San Francisco...
The New Folk Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black text printed on white paper reading "The New / Folk".	The Traitors Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the right is a stylized image of a man in uniform saluting as a large tear falls from his face with "The / Traitors" in yellow inside. At the left is blue text...
Rebel Without a Cause Tom Weller Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the top is a blue, beige and pink stylized image of a car driving down a steep hill. At the bottom, a man''s face is imposed in the hillside. At the...	KPFA Holiday Crafts Fair Albany Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and red ink printed on white paper. At the top is "10th Annual / KPFA" and "Holiday / Crafts Fair" in black. At the center is a stylized black and white image of a man and woman...
World Beat Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized printed background fo a red brick wall. At the top is "World Beat / Celebration / Dance & Culture Festival" in black. Down the left and right are musical groups in black...	World-Beat 1999 Poster has a black printed background with a stylized multicolor image of a man playing the drums surrounded by plants with a leopard/cougar in the background. Across the top is "World-Beat" in...
Liberation Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a yellow printed background. At the top is a red strip with "a major statement by a legendary artist" in yellow and a green strip with "Bunny Wailer / Liberation" in yellow, black and...	The Third World Band 1976 Poster has a red printed background with yellow and green drooping marijuana leaves over stylized snakes throughout. At the top left is "Ruel Mills presents / Reggae". At the center is a yellow...
Chris LeDoux Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red ink printed on white paper. At the top left is the 95.3 country tradio station label. At the top is "KRTY Welcomes / Chris" followed by a photo of a man in a hat holding a guitar...	Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival & International Marketplace 2000 Poster advertising the Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival & International Marketplace in 2000. At top is an image of Malcolm X as well as figures playing trumpets. At bottom are black and white...
Rat Tones Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with a sepia tone arm holding a vise grip. Poster advertising an event in Berkeley with Rat Tones, Vise Grip, and Jerry Long.	Mother Jones The 1997 Awards: An Exhibition 1997 Poster advertising an exhibition of Mother Jones photographs. Black and white photo at top. Along the left on dark blue background are three other black and white photographs by award winners. At...
Cyberfest 97 1997 Poster advertising Cyberfest 97, an all-night dance festival held at Alameda Naval Air Base in Alameda, California. Background of poster is a science fiction style illustration of a woman wint a...	Untitled Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising a political protest about Propsition 21. At center is an illustration of a hand with a microphone. Background is black and gray. Text throughout is in red, white, and black.
Cafe Eletronico 1993 Poster for Cafe Eletronico with text in Portuguese. At center is an illustration of a coffee cup on a saucer, with telephone handsets and spiral wires coming out from the cup. Above the cup is a...	Indymedia Newsreal Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising Indymedia Newsreel, a grassroots news program. Poster has the word "SCREENING" running vertically up the left side. The main area of poster is an illustration of a piece of film...
18th Annual National Educational Film & Video Festival Norm Fisher, photographer, Suzanne Anderson-Carey, designer 1988 Poster advertising the 18th Annual National Educational Film & Video Festival. Poster has a black and white image of buildings in Oakland on Lake Merritt, with a lamp that has strings of light...	Reggae on the River 1992 Poster advertising the 9th annual Reggae on the River festival in California. Poster is horizontal and divided into three sections. On the left and right, the background is a gradient from top to...
Woodie Guthrie Ricardo Levins Morales, artist Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster designed by Ricardo Levins Morales with a quote by Woodie Guthrie about songwriting and a stylized illustration of Woodie Guthrie in white and green at the bottom right.	The First Bay Area Original Music Festival Mission Grafica, printer 1993 Poster advertising the First Bay Area Original Music Festival at the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco. Illustration at top cent is silhouettes of a four-member band: guitar, maraca, drums...
Fela 1984 Poster advertizing a concert with Fela Kuti and Egypt 80 at Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, California. Poster has an illustration of a man with a saxophone in his left hand, and right hand in...	The First Annual People's Alternative Jass Festival D. Minkler, artist 1990 Poster advertising the The First Annual People''s Alternative Jazz Festival in Berkeley, CA. Top half has an illustration in green, orange, purple and black. Below is text with details about the...