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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The Committee for Health Rights in Central America Bob Baldock, designer, Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Peach leaves cover the top quarter of the poster. Below them, in green, "The Committee for Health Rights in Central America / invites you to our annual benefit dinner / at Chez Panisse". The...	National Referendum to End The War in Central America Late 20th Early 21st Century The poster is divided into 3 sections by red bars. The top section has a black and white photograph of soldiers standing near a helicopter. The middle section has large black and red text: "...
Gil Scott-Heron Inkworks Press, printer, Mission Grafica, designer 1985 Poster has a green background printed on white paper with white text and a yellow/red image. Text at the top has a white dot between each word and reads "An Evening Of Song Celebrity And Support...	Help Stop U.S. Arms Shipments to El Salvador Inkworks Press, printer, Lincoln Cushing, graphic design 1983 Poster printed in blue, green, yellow, and black ink on white paper. "Help Stop U.S. Arms Shipments to El Salvador / U.S. Out of Central America" is printed across the top of the page. Below, a...
U.S. Hands off Central America now! Late 20th Early 21st Century Inside a black border, this poster has a green map of Central America with a male, machete-wielding figure standing on it. An arm and hand reach down from the right edge over the map. The arm has...	1st National Caravan of Salvadorans for Peace Andrea Kantrowitz, illustrator, Inkworks Press, printer 1985 Top of poster has a purple background that transitions to blue at the bottom of the poster. The top of the poster has text in a gray script that is a list of major U.S. cities. At center...
untitled (photo of man surrounded by Arabic text) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a white background with a double-lined black border, black text and a black and white dotted image. Two lines of Arabic text centered at the top followed by the image of the face of a...	What Do Your Taxes Buy in El Salvador? Late 20th Early 21st Century The top of the poster has a large red dollar sign at left and text in white at right: "What / Do Your / Taxes / Buy". The center of the poster has a stylized drawing of a male figure...
Political Internment Is Happening In The U.S. Fireworks Graphics Collective 1983 Poster has a blue background printed on white paper. Background image is black and shows a man with a moustache with shackles on his raised hands smiling. Across the top is "Political Internment...	Protest 2001 Poster has a gray background with a black line moving down the left edge. At the top left is "Protest" in white followed by "an exhibition celebrating the Free Speech Movement Archives - April 13...
Untitled New Earth Press 1993 Poster has a white background with a border of a thin black line all around. At the top is "Expressions Of Rage, / Acts Of Courage / 25 years ago: On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was...	El Salvador Inkworks Press, printer 1982 Poster has unprinted white border surrounding a yellow background with a darker yellow image of a line of soldiers with guns walking while the lead soldier grabs the hair of a woman on the ground...
Trabajadores De Cuidado Inkworks Press, printer 1993 Poster printed on white paper with a thin blue line border at all edges. Down the left and right side are three yellow flowers attached to green/blue stems. At the top of the poster is a green/...	Reflect & Act Inkworks Press, printer 2003 This poster features a red and black image of four men and women standing in a line with their hands tied together in the upper half of the page. Black text at the top of this image reads "Reflect...
Official Representatives of the Zapatistas are coming to S.F. Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster is printed on pink paper with text and images in black. The top of the poster has the text: "Official Representatives of / the Zapatistas / are coming to S.F. The center of the poster has a...	The Great Gumbo Inkworks Press, printer 2007 Poster has an image of a red alligator swimming in blue water at the top of the poster. At the bottom of the poster is large white text reading "The Great Gumbo" followed by "Stirring The Pot Of...
Join the Blockade Autumn Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has an image at the lower right of a police officer walking while two other individuals following him. On the left side of the poster in red text is "Join The Blockade At U.C. Berkeley In...	Another world is possible 2000 Poster printed on white paper. "another world Is possible!" printed in blue across the top followed by a color image of a pair of hands holding up a plant in dirt in front of a road leading into...
Break All Ties With Apartheid Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has an unprinted white border. Central color image shows a male and female African Americans trapped in a large diamond, the male having shackles at his wrists. Behind the couple is a...	Support The Struggle For Freedom In South Africa 1985 Poster is a large brown and white image of a group of men, women, and children walking up a street - the man at the center in sunglasses has his arms outstretched. Black text along the left side...
Homage to Pablo Neruda Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century The poster is printed with text and graphics in red and purple in on white paper. The top edge of the poster has small purple text: "Free Chile Center, Associated Projects and C.A.L....	Juan Guzman Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has a photo background of a wall with abstract metal or paper birds fixed throughout. At the bottom right corner of the image is "Juan Guzman" in large white text. Bottom of poster...
Solidarity with Salvadoran Refugees in Honduras Andrea Kantrowitz, illustrator, Inkworks Press, printer 1986 Top of poster has a stylized drawing of a group of people: men, women, and children all with troubled expressions. The group is in front of several tents, a central female figure is holding a sign...	illapu Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century The poster has a drawing of six silhouetted figures, each playing a different musical instrument, set against a sky that transitions from yellow at top to green at the horizon, overall. The top...