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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Keep On Truckin Ruth Ruhman 1971 Poster has white unprinted edges with a black border enclosing a stylized color image of men taking long steps on a yellow ground. In the sky above the figures are red and light blue shooting...	Jail Bait of the Month R. Crumb, artist 1970 Poster has a black and white stylized illustration with a color figure at the center. Figure is sitting in the grass of a front lawn and is topless with a bow in her black hair. At the top right...
untitled (naked embrace) Paul Kagan, photographer 1967 Poster has a rainbow colored graphic design as a background. At the center is a black and photo of a nude man and woman sitting and embracing. Centered on the bottom edge is "Yab-Yum" in black.	City Lights Booksellers and Publishers Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white photo of the front of a book store as seen from a street. In a black bar across the bottom is "City Lights Booksellers And Publishers / ''A Literary Meetingplace Since...
City Lights Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white photo of two men with their arms around each other standing in front of a wall. Centered at the bottom is a gray logo and "City Lights / Booksellers And Publishers /...	We Are Here To Protect You Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a blue background with black text and stylized illustrations. Images show police officers with long hair arresting male citizens. At the left, two cops...
Not Only To Be Loved 1967 Poster has unprinted beige edges enclosing text and illustrations. At the top is a centered beige circle filled in with blue and a circular flower design at the bottom. Arched over the design is "...	Virginia Satir Robert Chaponot, photographer 1978 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing an orange background. At the top left is a blurred image of a female dancer, possibly a ballerina. At the right center is "people / need / to see /...
untitled (man and woman drinking tea under a tree) 1971 Poster has a color photo with a silver ornate border. The photo shows a man and woman sitting on cushions beneath a tree drinking out of tea cups. Below the image at the bottom of the poster is "...	I Am Me 1975 Poster has black and orange text with a central yellow, orange and green artwork showing a flower, all printed on white paper. At the top is "My Declaration Of Self-Esteem" in black and "I Am Me"...
Highway Child Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges and a black border with white circles enclosing a stylized color image of cartoon character Dennis the Menace riding his motorize tricycle down a road while...	Freedom 1972 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a stylized color image of an African American man on a purple motorcycle with another male figure on a motorcycle behind him. The figures are riding...
PIGS 1970 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a green background. At the center is an illustration of a yellow pig in a blue and black police officer uniform riding a motorcycle with the middle...	Steps Leading to the Mountain Top Celestial Arts, publisher c. 1969 This poster features an image of a green landscape and mountain framed by a staircase and two columns in the foreground. There is a yellow sun just above the mountain and it transitions into a...
I Am Loved Orbit Graphic Arts, printer 1969 Poster has white unprinted edges with a yellow border enclosing a black background with brightly colored flowers all over. A the center is a yellow oval with a pink outline showing a man and woman...	I have no yesterdays Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is made up of a photograph of a blonde woman holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Black text in the bottom center reads "I have no yesterday, / time took them away. / tomorrow may not...
Not Only To Be Loved 1967 This poster printed on thick, tan paper features circular and curved orange text reading "Not Only To Be / Loved / But To Be Told That I Am Loved / The Realm Of Silence Is / Large Enough / beyond...	The Occult 1971 This poster features a black-outlined illustration of people and scenes relating to "The Occult", which is printed in blue and yellow at the bottom. The subsections above include "Palmistry", "...
Fritz Portrait Celestial Arts, publisher 1972 This poster is made up of a black and white illustration of an elderly man in profile. He has a beard and moustache. Two columns of text below him begin "I do my thing / and you do your thing". "...	Maharishi 1968 This poster printed on thick, blue paper features a red image of a bearded man''s face. "Maharishi" is in yellow in the lower right.
Untitled (old man in profile) Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is made up of a black and white illustration of an elderly man in profile. He has a beard and moustache. "Perls" is in printed handwriting in the lower left corner.	Untitled (Lenny Bruce) c.1966 This poster is made up of a black and white photograph of a man saluting with his right hand. His hand has been replaced by and over-sized human hand. "1776", "Lenny Bruce", and "1966" are in the...
Musten Baba Orbit Graphic Arts, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster features an image of a man''s face in the center of the page. The face has long hair, a long beard, and dark eyes. "Musten Baba" is in the bottom center margin.	Journal Of Humanistic Psychology Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster promotes the "Journal Of / Humanistic / Psychology". It includes an array of photographs, most of which are headshots, of men and women. All photos and and text are in shades of blue....