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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Freedom! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is "Freedom!" in red. At the center is a stylized black silhouette of a figure holding up a bicycle on a background of red and brown rays. At the bottom...	Traffic Stops Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper with text reading "traffic stops / July 25 / stop driving / stop downtown / stop business / stop school / stop offices / stop shopping / stop work /...
Emerald Nuts: Across the Bay 12k 2005 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized red, gree, black, blue and yellow image of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a red banner below reading "Emerald Nuts / Across the Bay 12k" with...	Car-Free Telegraph Rally Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top left is a stylized image of figures and animals dancing around a fire. At the top right is "car-free / telegraph / rally / Saturday /...
Roadless Summer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the center is a stylized image of a jackhammer breaking through a circular road. Over the top is "Roadless / Summer". At the top right is "No New...	Save Our Farms 2005 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Save Our / Farms" with the website www....
Act 79 1979 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "learn how today''s / community-based / technologies affect / all our futures..." in white. At the center is a stylized white image of the...	Housebuilding Classes Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has yellow and blue ink printed on white paper. At the center is a hammer, growing like a tree with a web of roots at the base. Arched over the tool is "Housebuilding Classes / In Our 5th...
No Nukes 1991 Poster has red ink printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a skull with atom symbols for eyes. At the bottom is "No / Nukes" with power plant stack in the opening of the "o".	Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy 1966 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a pink background with black text and a central black and white illustration showing a 5 cent Canadian stamp with a power plant, atom symbol, microscope...
Round 'Em Up Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red and blue ink printed on white paper. At the top is "The Great / Aluminum / Can / Round-Up / Round ''Em Up!" with a stylized image of a cowboy on a horse lassoing running cans. At...	Untitled 1994 Poster printed with green, yellow, and blue ink on cream-colored paper. A large rectangle that transitions from blue at top to green at bottom fills the center of the page and is surrounded by a...
Trash to Treasures: 2nd Annual Junk-Art Competition and Exhibition 1994 Poster has green ink printed on beige paper. At the top is a stylized image of a broken helmet on a crude pedstal, with a more polished sketch to the right. Below the images is "Trash to Treasures...	Trash to Treasures: 3rd Annual Junk-Art Competition and Exhibition 1995 Poster has blue ink printed on brown paper. At the top is a stylized image of a broken helmet on a crude pedstal, with a more polished sketch to the right. Below the images is "Trash to Treasures...
Recycle or Die! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the bottom are four trash cans in a line from shortest at the left to tallest at the right. The small garbage can has paper in it; the middle two...	Trash to Treasures: 1st Annual Junk-Art Competition and Exhibition 1993 Poster has purple ink printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a broken helmet on a crude pedstal, with a more polished sketch to the right. Below the images is "Trash to...
The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on yellow paper. A stylized image on the poster shows decorative curtains framing an open trunk, stack of books, thread, and a frame. Below the curtains but above the...	Give a Hoot About Recycling Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is "give a hoot / about recycling." in black. At the center is a color photo of two children, one sitting on a wagon, at a collection center for...
Newspaper Drive Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red and black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "newspaper / drive. / help ______ / by recycling your old / newspapers." At the left is an image of bundled newspapers stacked....	The East Bay Depot for Creative Use Late 20th Early 21st Century Multicolor poster printed on white paper. Lining the top and bottom edges are color photos of goods and people. Graphic text at the top reads "The East Bay / Depot For / Creative Reuse" with a...
Recycle! 1991 Poster printed on white paper with a multicolor, stylized image of three Care Bears in a tree, sending down recyclables to another bear at the bottom of the tree. At the top is "caring is...	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper showing a photo of a basketball painted like the earth resting in a garbage can with other recyclables. At the bottom of the photo is "If You''re Not...
Wanted: Used Store Bags 1990 Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "Wanted / Used Store Bags" in white. At the center is a white recycling logo with a red, black and blue illustration of Spiderman swinging gray...	Berkeley Recycles! 1991 Poster printed with green and blue ink on cream-colored paper. "Berkeley / Recycles!" is printed diagonally at top, and the ''B'' in Berkeley is decorated with a tree and sun inside a rectangular...