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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summer.berkeley.edu Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the left is a color image of the earth from space. Through the center of the poster is "summer.berkeley.edu" in yellow.	Out From The Shadow Of Monopoly Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on silver color paper. At the top is "Out From The / Shadow Of / Monopoly". At the center is a stylized image of power lines runnign to a power plant in the background...
Discovery Festival Graphic Communications International Union 1990 Poster has a brown/black.blue background surrounded by a blue border at the left, pink at the top, yellow at the right and pink and green at the bottom. At the top of the poster is "Festival At...	Jazz Arts Festival 2002 Top of poster has a purple tinted image of Malcolm X, with a stylized figure playing a saxophone with fire coming out of the front end. At the top is "EastSide Arts Alliance / presents" in white....
Eliminate Social Rules Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "Eliminate / Social Rules" in white. Below the text are two arms, one red one in the background forming a fist and a white one int he...	untitled (man/machine running over people) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. Stylized image shows a machine with a human head and sharp pointed teeth rolling toward a cluster of small human figures. On top of the machine is a...
Building Condemned Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black text printed on once white paper. Starting at the top, the text reads "Building / Condemned / under Article 2, People''s Code: all properties / used for oppression are to be...	untitled (text and fists) 1969 Poster has black and red ink printed on once white paper. Text, starting at the top, reads "I mEt Bolivar On A / Long Morning... / ''Father,'' I Said, ''Are You, /...
untitled (man in a tank pointing a gun at two figures) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on what once was white paper and shows a man in a tank at the left pointing the main gun at two figures to the right. On the tank is "The 8 [crossed out] 7 / Demands...	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized image of a silver machine labeled "Any Public School, / Everywhere, Calif." in black with gears, gauges, switches and buttons. The buttons are labeled "Initial Creativity...
Relevant Education 1969 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a dark blue background. At the top is a white cloud-like shape is a red rose with green leaves. In a separate white cloud shape at the bottom of the...	Free Speech Movement @ 40 2004 Poster printed on white paper with a purple tinted photo at the top showing a crowd gathering, even sitting on the roof, watching a man at a microphone speak. At the bottom left and right of the...
Berkeley Free Speech Movement Doug Minkler 1984 Top of poster has a stylized image of a horse-like creature walking over what appears to be a machine with an unidentifiable object int he sky and a building in the background on the right. At the...	An Evening With Jane Fonda 1979 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top right is "A very special event" followed by a large grayscale image of a woman''s face. Below the image is "an evening with Jane Fonda /...
Baby Power Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red text and graphics printed on white paper. Central image is of a bottle labeled "Johnson''s / baby / power! / Pure Protection". Fists punch out of the bottle at the top, where clouds...	Keep Chelsea Integrated Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has dark blue ink printed on blue textured paper. At the top is a stylized image of a row of brick buildings. Coming out of the taller building at the left is a fist. To the right of the...
Fight Evictions Red Pepper Posters 1977 Poster has a central stylized color image of the San Francisco skyline in green with a red building int he front being demolished by a wrecking ball. The red building is on fire, with smoke...	Pickle Family Circus 1979 Poster has white unprinted edges. At the top is a blue background with "San Francisco''s / Pickle / Family / Circus" in yellow. Below the blue is a red background with two...
Maxtavern Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top center is "Maxtaver / Chicago". At the center are two ovals connected at the center and filled with grayscale photobooth pictures of people...	An American Success Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red printed edges. At the top of the poster is a stylized color image of children playing on the street as adults and a police officer look on in the foreground. One of the female...
Oregon Country Fair 1995 This poster promotes the "Oregon Country / Fair" and features a circle of purple people holding hands around a flower shape with the "Oregon Country Fair" logo in the center. There are green leaf...	Mississippi River Festival 1990 This poster promotes the "Mississippi River Festival / 10th Anniversary 1990 Heritage Festival". There is an illustration of a woman with long, blue hair below an orange sun in the top two thirds...
The String Cheese Incident 2004 This poster advertises a concert featuring "The String Cheese / Incident" and several other bands" There is a green design with blue, green, and black shapes around an earth in the top half of the...	1977 1977 This white poster includes overlapping orange circles with "CNB" and a blue arrow in the foremost circle. "1977" is repeated twice in blue below along with "California conference on / alternative...