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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Untitled (pointing finger and meal) Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster includes writing in Cyrillic text. There are two lines of large, brown text at the bottom and an additional line of small, blue text at the top. Inside a blue a brown frame is an...	Untitled (bearded man with arms raised) Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is printed on thick paper. There is a black background inside white margins. A white illustration of an elderly man with a beard is in the center of the black background. The man has...
West Coast Regional Conference Mission Grafica, printer 1986 This poster, printed on thick paper, advertises the "West Coast Regional / Conference	Angolan liberation fighters circa 1972 This horizontally-oriented poster features a brown, green, and black illustration of a group of people holding rifles. There is a row of people on each side and one person sits in the center....
Solidarity With African Women In Struggle Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is made up of brown a brown and white image of two African women working together and separate, brown and yellow images of two people holding guns along the right side of the poster....	We Will Win Late 20th Early 21st Century This black and white poster features an illustration of a man with a large afro-style haircut and ammunition draped over his shoulders against a white background. The margins of the poster are...
Through Perseverance U.S. Government Printing Office, printer c. 1963 This poster has a blue background and an illustration of a blue, white, and black eagle carrying a plant with the sun and clouds in the background. Text below reads "Through Perseverance.. /	Community c.1963 This poster includes a blue and black illustration of a man speaking to a group of men dressed like judges from behind a podium. There is a tall building in the background. Blue text below reads "...
Five Goals U. S. Government Printing Office, printer c. 1963 This poster has a light blue background with a shaded image of a government building with American flags flying in front of it in the background. White text at the top of the page reads "Five...	Revolution U.S. Government Printing Office, printer c. 1963 This poster includes an illustration of two men reviewing technical drawings with cattle plowing a field in the background. The figures are black and gray while the background is pink. Orange text...
Palestine Liberation Graphics, publisher 1985 This poster is made up of a large, white image of a dove with a tear falling from its eye. The area above the dove is black, below is green, and behind is orange. White and black text at the...	Palestine: A Homeland Denied Liberation Graphics, publisher 1986 This black and white poster features a checkered fabric held over a person''s head with a black band. The fabric blends into a barbed wire pattern around where the face would be. However, there is...
Edward Said 1999 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of a man in a brown suit and black and brown text on a background of semi-transparent purple, red and green tinted images, including a...	Palestine Will Be Free Fireworks Graphics Collective Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has an image of a blanket blowing in the wind at the left and "Stop / Isreali / Terror / Palestine / Will Be / Free" in red and black.
Freedom for the Prisoners in the Saudi Terror Jails Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on red paper. At the top is an illustration of a man seen through the bars of a prison. At the bottom left is "Freedom For The Prisoners / In The Saudi Terror Jails /...	untitled (figures with their fists thrust in the air) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a gray stylized image of a group of figures with their fists thrust in the air. At the bottom left is "Long Live The Second Anniversary / Of The Glorious November Insurrection /...
Stop U.S. Aid to Israel Doug Minkler 1988 Top of poster has a stylized Minkler image showing an abstract soldier with a gun walking while another soldier shoots someone in the background. Below the image is "Stop U.S. Aid To Israel" in...	untitled (Arabic text and male figures) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a red tinted background image of figures holding up guns. Across the top of the poster are three lines of black Arabic text. Below the text is a central...
Soweto Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background with an image of human figures walking and talking at the bottom. Three of the figures have colored clothes - red, yellow and purple....	The Real Terrorists In The Middle East Chicago, Counter Productive Industries 2000 Poster has black and green ink printed on white paper. At the top of the poster is "The Real / Terrorists / In The / Middle East". At the bottom of the poster are images of two men....
Season of Thunder 1983 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized image of a group of children watching a helicopter fly over the green trees and blue water. Across the top, in the sky, is "Season / Of...	You Can Imprison A Revolutionary But Not A Revolution 1978 Poster has orange ink printed on beige paper. Stylized background image shows a figure''s face. Across the top is "You Can Imprison A Revolutionary / But Not A Revolution..." At the bottom right...
Zimbabwe Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a red printed background with a green and yellow illustration of two figures walking in tall grasses with guns over their backs. Across the top of the poster is "Zimbabwe / Liberation...	untitled (trees and a poem) Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has a stylize image of brown tree branches with green graphic designs scattered about. Resting on a branch near the center is a green bird. At the bottom of the poster is "The Wren,...