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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To Be or Not to Be Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and red photo of three naked men with leaves over their genitals circled together piling their hands on top of each other. At the bottom is gold colored text reading "Hot Rubber...	Vietnam Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black, red and yellow background with a partial star at the right. At the left center is "Gesellscaft fur / fie Freundschaft / zwischen den Volkern / in der Bundesrepublik ....
A Hospital Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background with a white unprinted bottom edge. At the top left is a black and white logo with the profiles of three figures with "Youth Unite! Forward For Lasting Peace...	The African Dawn Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized multicolor image of African figures with instruments, a paint brush, and a pen, standing in front of a red, orange and yellow sun on a yellow...
Why Not Give Them a Chance Unicef Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Why Not Give Them A Chance" followed by a large question mark filled with black and white photos of children in dilapidated buildings....	Working for a Better Tomorrow Late 20th Early 21st Century Multicolor poster has a stylized image of African people working - a woman carrying a child, a woman breastfeeding a child, two women digging, a work station with pots and jugs, women pumping...
Gay Games Amsterdam 1998 1998 Vertical strips of pink with "Gay Games Amsterdam 1998" in yellow run up the left edge and the center. At the top left are two black and white photos - a woman kissing a woman''s cheek and two men...	The Block Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the center is a white image of a man''s chest. At the top left is "The / Block / London" in white. At the bottom right is "5 Parkfield St. N1 / 071 226...
untitled (running figures) 1984 Poster has a black and white background image of soldiers running through a field. At the top left is black and purple German text. At the center, a stylized image of two topless women running was...	Ostermarsch '87 1987 Multicolor poster has a stylized image of a white dive flying in front of a red and yellow peace sign, set on a black and blue background. At the bottom is "Ostermarsch ''87 / 20.April-Stenmarsch...
Potsdamer Abkommen Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background. Across the top is "Potsdamer Abkommen 17.Juli-2. August 1945" in white. Stylized color image shows three chairs, with the flags of...	untitled (dove sweeping missiles from the world) Late 20th Early 21st Century Multicolor poster printed on white paper. A stylized image shows a dove standing on top of the earth using his green branch to sweep away missiles. At the bottom of the image is "Raus Mit Den US-...
untitled (missile and human figures) 1981 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background. Across the top are two lines of white German text. At the center and four black and white photos - a building, a man about to slap a...	untitled (figure impaled with missiles) 1988 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is a red background with a stylized black and white image of a figure being impaled through the head, knee, ankle and foot with missiles. Below...
You and Me Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "We Are / All Brothers / And Sisters" in green and blue. Below the text is a black and whtie photo of a man with his right hand forming an "L"...	The Hot Rubber Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a multicolor photo of a figure''s hand holding a half unpeeled banana with a condom on it. A sticker on the banana peel reads "The Hot / Rubber" with the...
untitled (fist and crowd) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized black and white image of a crowd gathered together in protest, with the figures in the for raising their arms to form one large, collective fist. The figures stand on a red...	Chairman Mao Tse-tung Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white photo of Mao Zedong in uniform clapping, printed on white paper. Centered below the image is "Chairman Mao Tse-tung" in black.
Motor Sport Club Rotterdam 1985 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a figure''s backside, with the butt outlined by black chaps. At the bottom of the poster is "Motor Sport Club /...	Sida 1988 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "Centros De / Informacion Sobre" in white and "Sida" in red. At the center is a black and white photo of a statue of a naked man and woman...
La Mujer Presente 1983 Poster has a yellow printed background. At the top is "En La Primera Linea De Combate / La Mujer Presente" in black. Below the text is a black and white photo of female soldiers lined up and...	Cuarto Creciente Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a maroon printed background with white text and a central stylized white image of women reading a book. At the top right is "Cuerto / Creciente". At the bottom is "es un espacio creado...
El Salvador Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "El Salvador" and a photo of a girl sitting against a cement wall with a small child. At the bottom of the poster is "conquistando / los...	1984 - Year of the Women 1984 Top of poster has black, green and yellow stripes, the colors of the African National Congress, whose name is printed over the stripes in white. At the center is a red background with a black and...