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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El Salvador Graphic Arts International Union Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a stylized background image showing a mass of people in red bandanas with "FMLR" in white and red hats forming the interior of an exploding volcano at the top of the poster. At the top...	Espiritu De El Salvador 1991 Top of poster has a stylized image showing green and red featureless figures standing in front of a gray and purple building. Below the image is "Espiritu De El Salvador / September 2-December 14...
Radio Farabundo Marti Doug Minkler 1989 Top of poster has a stylized color image showing a man in a hat and headphones speaking into a microphone while operating a radio machine. At the right are homes and famrs, with figures farming....	Here Comes The Sun La Raza Graphic Center, designer, Linda Lucero, designer, Mission Grafica, printer 1985 Poster has a color image and white text printed on a black background. At the top is "Here Comes The Sun!" followed by the stylized image showing six figures standing on an island with other land...
Untitled 1989 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of yellow figures holding hands and dancing in a circle on the earth with a child holding a white dove at the center. The planet is set...	Patricio Manns Mission Grafica 1983 Poster has white printed edges enclosing a gray background. At the top is a stylized image of a man on a blue background. To the top left of the image is "Patricio" in brown with "Manns Concert"...
Cuba Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has "Cuba" repeated four times in increasingly darker shades of blue. Down the left side of the poster are four pink stars, increasing in size and lightening in color as they move...	Benefit 1984 Poster has a brown printed background. At the left is a stylized image of a mother and three children standing in front of the red and white buidlings of a city. Above and below the image is "For...
Chile Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a green printed border on white paper. Around the edges, inside the border, is red text reading, starting at left, "Thousands Of / Women Political / Prisoners In / Chile!" At the center...	Solidarity with Chile 1986 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a blue background with white text and a central orange/red star filled with a black image of human figures shouting and holding a sign. At the top is "...
Songs of Struggle and Celebration 1980 Poster has central text reading "Songs of / Struggle / and/ Celebration" in purple with concert details below in white on a purple background. Surrounding the text are various images in boxes...	Nicaragua Taller Urayo_n Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background with red text at the top and white images of five figures with their arms raised at the bottom of the poster. Text reads "Nicaragua"...
It's Only the Beginning 1970 Poster has green ink printed on white paper with an image showing a figure in striped pants sitting on the ground with his knees pulled to his chest and his face in his arms, folded over his knees...	Impeach Nixon 1970 Poster has purple text printed on white paper reading "Impeach / Nixon".
Nicaragua Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central brown photo of a woman with children to her left and right holding a Spanish newspaper with an article about Reagan. Above the image is "Nicaragua / Aqui No Se Rinde Nadie"....	Let There Be Peace 1970 Poster has green ink printed on white paper. At the center is a photo of a figure with his head resting on the sill of an open window. Down the left is "Let / There / Be / Peace / And" with "Let...
untitled (cemetery and Hemingway quote) 1970 Poster has green ink printed on white paper. At the top is a photo of a cemetery with tombstones in rows. At the bottom is "''never think that war, no / matter how necessary nor / how justified,...	untitled (man and a child) 1970 Poster has purple ink printed on white paper. At the left is a photo of a man in glasses and a "let''s have peace" shirt standing as a child to his left paints on his shirt. At the right, the same...
Let There Be Peace 1970 Poster has purple ink printed on white paper. At the center is a photo of a figure with his head resting on the sill of an open window. Down the left is "Let / There / Be / Peace / And" with "Let...	Unite Against the War 1970 Poster has pink ink printed on white paper. At the center is a yin yang symbol with a fist and a peace sign. At the top is "Unite" and at the bottom is "Against / The War".
Vietnam 1970 Poster has red ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Vietnam: / Spilled Blood / Split The Country". At the bottom is America divided in two, with a woman holding the body of a child at the...	End All Your Wars 1970 Top of poster has a green background with "White Peace / Is / Bullshit" in green and white. At the center is a yellow oval with "Does America / Mourn / All Her Dead?'' in green and white, with "...
Ask What Your Country is Doing for You 1970 At the top of the poster is "Ask What Your / Country" in yellow. At the center is a stylized image of an orange and black eagle flying with a black cross clutched in his feet. At the bottom is "Is...	Why 1970 Poster has a central black background with a red, white and blue border. The top border is being pulled down by rope tied to it with a bird hanging at the other end. At the bottom right, the...