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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Fight Fat 1970 Poster is printed on white paper. At the top is "Hot To Diet Successfully / Or / Fifteen Ways To / Fight Fat" in multiple colors on a yellow background. Below the text are 15 stylized images to...	Did You Know? 1997 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a red background. At the top is a black question mark with "did you know..." in white. Starting at the center of the poster is "Macy''s contributed /...
untitled (bird man and astronaut in space) 1986 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of an astronaut floating in space above the earth with the space shuttle in the background. At the left, a man with wings and a bird...	Scientology: The Bridge From Chaos To Total Freedom 1968 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Scientology / The Bridge From Total Chaos To Total Freedom". Below the title is a stylized image of a bridge. At the left, on land, is...
Live Long and Prosper Celestial Arts 1976 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a blue stylized image of acrobats, structures, mountains and people. Imposed over the top is a black and orange stylized image of a figure''s face and...	E.T. 1982 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a blue background with a stylized image at the center of an alien''s hand touching index fingers with a child''s hand on an outer space background with...
The Major Prophets Of The Bible Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. Centered at the top is Arabic writing and "The Major / Prophets Of The Bible" in black flanked by religious symbols at the top left and right. Beneath the text is a...	Star Wars Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized image of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker standing on a rock, with Luke''s lightsaber raised in the air. In the backgound, C3PO and R2D2 look on. In the night sky, the face...
Close Encounters 1977 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background. At the top is "Every 15 Minutes, Someone Sees A UFO" in white followed by an image of a bright light at the end of a road with "we...	Independence Day 1996 Poster has a black printed background with a stylized color image of a large space ship approaching the earth. Between the ship and the planet is "Earth / take a good look. / it may be your last...
untitled (cross in grass) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a gold cross above blades of green stylized grass, printed on white paper.	untitled (woman and penis) 1974 Poster has brown ink printed on white paper. Poster shows four illustrations - a woman licking a penis at the top left, a woman lying down with her legs open at the top right, a woman with a penis...
Is She Or Isn't She? Tea Lautrec Lithography 1973 Poster has black ink printed on yellow paper showing a stylized image of a topless woman standing between columns with a man sitting on the floor to her bottom right holding the leg of an animal....	Deep Throat 1979 Poster has a yellow printed background. At the top of the poster is a black and white photo of a woman starting with her head on her knees in the background and moving toward an image of her with...
Eat Naturally Pomegranate Publications 1972 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is "Eat Naturally" in gray. At the bottom is an inverted triangle with a line radiating down from the lower point, all in green like grass.	Inflation: A Closer Look 1979 Poster verso has a return address and a non-profit paid postage printed in black at the bottom left.
How Drugs Reach the U.S. 1990 Laminated poster printed on white paper with a stylized blue and orange map of the world with purple, green and red arrows indicating the flow of drugs into the United States. Across the top is "...	Hope Cannot Be Said To Exist Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of green rolling hills with a yellow road below a blue sky with a red star and above brown dirt. At the bottom of the poster is "hope...
Why? 1968 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black and white sketch of the faces of John F. Kennedy (top), Martin Luther King, Jr. (center) and Robert F. Kennedy (bottom). To the left of the faces...	In Lovely Outrage Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on off-white paper. At the center is a shaded figure on his hands and knees. At the left, top and right is the text "In Lovely Outrage / We Must Quit These Paths / Of...
The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth 1989 Poster printed on white paper. On the background is a stylized image of a yellow desert beneath a blue sky. In the skay are blue, red, yellow and white boxes numbered from three to zero,...	Social Darwinism 1968 Poster has black and blue ink printed on white paper. At the center is "Social / Darwinism" in white. Surrounding the text are stylized images of outspoken men who have been murdered, like Martin...
Exposed Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster is printed on white paper. At the top is "Exposed / 2.0" in yellow and red with "The Superpowers Behind Your Animation" in black over the top. At the center is a stylized image of a male...	The Planetary Society 1981 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is a stylized image of the planets of our solar system lined up behind the sun, showing the differences in size. At the top left is an entire...