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 (comic strip and calendar) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has unprinted yellow edges enclosing a black background with yellow and black graphics. At the top is a box of comic-like strips of images, topped with a semiircle with the text "The Whole...	Rock Poster Dauser Press, printer 1999 Poster has unprinted white edges with a red border enclosing a black background. At the center is a green eyeball with an engine strapped to the top and two wing-like flames emerging from the...
Damn everything but the circus Sister Mary Corita 1968 Poster has a yellow, red, purple and green lined background. Over the top is white text reading "damn / every / thing / but the / circus / e.e."	KSAN Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "KSAN" in blue. At the center of the poster are three rows/three columns of images - the top left and bottom right in circles and the rest in...
Levan Mosgofsan David Singer, designer 1977 Poster has a stylized black and white image at the top with rounded corners. The image, when split in half, is a mirror image, showing two men in monocles and top hats standing in a forest beneath...	untitled (figures embracing in front of a peace symbol) Pro Arts 1974 Poster has a black velvet background. At the center are two figures on their knees kissing and wrapping their arms around each others'' body. The woman''s yellow hair snakes about like vines....
untited (man and woman kissing in front of a fire) Pro Arts 1976 Poster shows a man and woman kneeling in front of a lit fireplace on a bear skin rug kissing naked.	Vali Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on yellow paper. At the bottom of the poser is a gray bowl with faces on the left and right. Steam rises from the bowl and forms text and an image up to the top of the poster. At...
San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co. 1975 Poster has beige edges and a purple/pink border enclosing a reproduction of a painting. The bottom of the image is brown like dirt with plants growing near the center and blue sky with white...	The Cosmic Bicycle S_tty (Wilfried Podriech) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a color background image showing the surface of a planet with a black "sky" with two planets at the top right. In front of the larger background planet is an image of a naked woman...
Psycho Circus Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a central black and white image of the face of a man smiling. Imposed over the face is "Psycho Circus" on the forehead in white, white lines forming a "t" around the eyes, a red circle...	Satan Wants You 1968 Poster has a black and white background photo of a man in a Satan costume pointing straight forward. In the background, a naked woman lies on a decorated table. Across the top is "Satan Wants You...
untitled (nude figures dancing around a fire) Dave Sheridan, Gilbert Shelton 1977 Poster has thick unprinted white edges enclosing a stylized color image of naked figures dancing around a large fire in a barrel. A green figure playing the saxophone has been conjured from the...	Celebration of Life Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and white images and red accents printed on yellow paper. In a red banner at the top is "Celebration of Life". Below are four photos (two rows/two columns) enclosed in a red line...
untitled (man on a motorcycle) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster shows an elf-like man with pointed ears and flaming yellow hair riding a motorcycle with pink flaming wheels through a patch of mushrooms. Small sprite-like figures play on the ground....	Rebel Without A Cause Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster is a film poster advertising the movie "Rebel Without A Cause" starring James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. At the top left is a blue tinted image of a male and female. Down the left...
Walt Whitman 1972 Poster has a brown and black leaf border enclosing a black and white photo of a man with a beard. Below the image is "Walt Whitman 1819-1892" in black.	Untitled (Love) Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is a black and white photograph of a man and a woman. The man has his arm around the woman and she is leaning on him. The woman is holding flowers and has a heart drawn on her forehead...
Love Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster features an illustration of a giant tree growing out of a group of buildings. The tree is made up of all kinds of plants and animals and "Love" appears at the top.	Narnia 1994 This double-sided poster advertises "An Organic / Festival of Life / Under / Full Moon / Super Vision". There are images of a Bald Eagle, an ape, blue flowers, a Hindu god, and large speakers on...
Welcome Hippies American Newsrepeat, San Francisco 1967 This poster features a black and white photograph of a man in a police uniform standing in front of a capitol building. He is holding a flower in each hand and there is a photograph of a woman...	Untitled (ship and castle) Late 20th Early 21st Century This horizontally-oriented poster is a black and white illustration of a ship with sails and oars in a body of water surrounded by castle-covered peaks. There is another boat in the distance and...
First International Erotic Film Festival Paul Kagan, photographer Late 20th Early 21st Century This black poster features a purple, yellow, and orange image of two naked torsos on top of each other in the top 2/3 of the page. "First International Film Festival" is printed in white below....	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century This horizontally-oriented poster is a photograph of a grown of people with one naked man in the center. They are all watching something off one side of the poster. "''it''s a beautiful day''" is...