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.

View results as Grid View results as List Browse Full Collection Advanced Search

untitled (worm in an apple) 1968 Poster has blue ink printed on textured white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a worm in a fallen apple. At the bottom of the poster are two columns of blue text in French.	Merrie Monarch Festival 2006 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is a stylized image showing a woman in a red dress reaching down toward a shirtless man, with plants and a human lizard at the bottom and a human...
Ancient Hawaiian Musical Instruments 1982 Poster has green printed edges enclosing a light green background with a stylized image of a hula dancer and two figures playing instruments. Across the top of the poster is "Ancient Hawaiian /...	Parade Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a red background with white text and images. Vertically up the left is "Chienlit" and across the top is "Parade". Rest of poster has an image showing...
untitled (French text) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background with white text and images. At the top are five lines of white French text - "vous etes la gu_rilla / contre la mort climatis_e / qu''...	untitled (soldiers with communist flag) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central red image printed on white paper showing a large group of soldier rushing a field, waving a red communist flag with a star and sickle logo at the center. To the bottom right...
untitled (soldiers with communist flag) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central red image printed on white paper showing a group of sodiers with chains leading to a cloud of smoke. The soldiers are shouting and waving a communist flag. "Capture Of Lu Ting...	untitled (soldiers on ships) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central red image printed on white paper showing soldiers on wooden ships crossing a body of water with a communist flag waving amoung them. To the bottom left of the image is "...
untitled (soldiers using tall plants as cover) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central red image printed on white paper showing soldiers moving through fields with tall plants, preparing to attack. To the bottom left of the image is "Guerrilla Warfare" and to...	Palestine Doug Minkler 1988 Poster has a central stylized image of a Palestinian flag. Imposed over the flag is an abstract horse with a village in the background, Arabic text at the top right and a small Palestinian flag at...
untitled (Asian text and the sunset) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central red image printed on white paper showing a sun shining over rolling waves with sunflowers in the foreground. Across the top of the poster, in the sky, are Asian symbols.	Support the Just Struggle of the People of Dhofar Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. Across the top is "support the just struggle of the people of Dhofar!" with the Arabic translation below. To the left is a black and white photo of...
The Unkillable Dream Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has a black and white photo of a large gathering of people in an outdoor square around a statue. The people are shouting and waving flags. Across the bottom of the poster is a red...	Middle East Children's Alliance 1993 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of a wman standing in the water with a child on her back. The image has a brown border at the top and an orange border at the bottom. In...
Palestine Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has "Palestine" in large green letters followed by "The Heart" in black. At the center of the poster is a red heart with a stylized figure with one hand on the heart and the other...	untitled (Hebrew alphabet) 1977 Poster has a blue printed background with 23 boxes - four columns of five rows with three boxes across the bottom. The images show Hebrew letters with associated images and words.
Aliyah 1968 Top of poster reads "Aliyah" in black, "The Rebirth Of Israel" in blue and "Salvador Dali" in black. At the center of the poster is a reproduction of an artwork showing a man looking towards the...	Supporting an Army of the People and for the People Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. Within a black, chain-like border are stylized images of people walking and playing instruments and animals. Across the top is Asian text. Across the...
Fanshen Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing an orange background with black text. Across the top is "Fanshen" followed by a black and white stylized image of men standing at a table arguing. Below...	untitled (man holding up a peace sign) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white photo of an Asian man sitting in a chair with his left hand forming a peace sign.
Palestine Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has black text reading "Palestine: / let the ''Uprising of Stones'' / pave the way / for People''s War". Below the text is a red tinted image of veiled figures in a battle in front...	China Poster has red ink printed on white paper. At the top of the poster is an image of Chinese figures standning in arbitrary lines and smiling. Every figure holds a pick ax and they all stand...
Shalom of Safed 1980 Top of poster has a stylized illustration showing abstract graphic desings that include trees, plants, a sun and moon. Among the images are lines of black Hebrew text at the top and bottom. To the...	The Masses Have Boundless Creative Power Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed bacgound with blue and yellow images. At the top is a quote from Mao Tse-Tung (Zedong) about the benefits of socialism followed by an image of a stepped landscape, all...