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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SITE: Surviving in the 80's circa 1980 Poster printed with black ink on yellow paper. The top half of the page shows recognizable parts of the Laney College campus with buildings, a geodesic dome, a teepee, and two types of windmills...	Benefit for Oregon Sane Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red and black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Benefit for / Oregon Sane / Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy". Below the text is a stylized image of a guitar in a circle. At...
No More Nuclear Waste in Washington Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a leaking barrell dripping green nuclear waste all over the state of Washington. Below the barrell is "No More / Nuclear Waste / In...	The Twelve Steps Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper and lists the twelve steps to recovery, a part of the Alcoholics Anonymous group.
The California Desert: An Epicenter of the International Nuclear Waste Crisis 1993 Poster printed on beige paper. At the top is a color photo of a desert landscape, set over an illustrated map and bordered with stylized images of desert wildlife. Below the image is "The...	The Incredible Hulk: Not Just Strangers Die Of AIDS Marvel Comics 1994 Poster is black and white with a red ribbon. The poster shows the comic hero Incredible Hulk standing next to a bed. Lying in the bed is a person, holding the Hulk''s hand. There is an IV drip...
2nd Annual Synanon Street Scene Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a yellow printed background with a stylized red and yellow image of figures dance and chatting, set on an orange background. At the top of the orange is "2nd annual / Synanon Street...	The Twelve Traditions 1981 Poster has black text printed on white paper. At the top is "the twelve traditions" followed by a list of A.A. group and membership guidelines.
Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white text printed on a black background. At the top is "CMHE, n. Cooperative Ministries in / Higher Education". At the center are the definitions for each word of the organization''s...	Tobacco Smoke Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a blue printed background with a stylized image of a lit cigarette resting on the edge of a green ashtray, with an image of a crying woman in the smoke. White text on the poster reads "...
The NAMES Project National Tour 88 Art Jagonasi, designer 1988 Poster printed on white paper. At the center is a color photograph of a quilt showing the United States with "The NAMES Project national tour 88" at the top. At the bottom of the poster are the...	How to Destory the Opposition 1987 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a blue background with a strip of orange at the right. At the left is a pink, white and black image of people gathered together on the dirt outside of a...
untitled (the NAMES Project quilt) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a multicolor image of quilt panels. The bottom edge is black with "The Names Project - a National AIDS Memorial" in white.	Come to Where the Cancer Is circa 1989 Poster printed on white paper with a red printed border. At the top is a stylized black, white, greena nd blue image of a skeleton riding a horse through a graveyard at the foot of the mountains....
Virginia Slime circa 1986 Poster has a blue printed background. At the top is "Virginia Slime" in white. At the center is a white box with a red goopy/dripping border with a stylized image of a woman with red eyes,...	Tobacco Kills More Americans Each Year... Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a red printed background. At the top is a white box with black text at the top and left and a pie chart at the right. Text at the top reads "tobacco kills more Americans each year than...
Algunos Hombres Viven En Dos Mundos Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "algunos hombres / viven en dos mundos." with a photo of a man with his back to the viewer at the center, facing a woman and child on the...	Teenage Tobacco-Chewing Zombie 2005 Poster has a blue printed background and is designed like a movie poster with a stylized image of a man drooling brown salival wearing a letterman jacket and holding a spit cup. A girl cowers at...
Kickin' Butts Doug Minkler, artist 1996 Poster with illustration by Doug Minkler of a "Virginia Slime Lights" box of cigaretter that has been knocked down. The arms and legs of the box are broken and bent cigarettes. Faux text warning...	Smoking Burns Family Life Lines Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a gray background with a black stylized graph on it. At the top left is "Smoking Burns / Family Life Lines" in white. At the bottom left is a stylized...
Unity circa 2004 Poster printed on white paper with a stylized collage of blue, green, orange, and red birds. At the bottom is the word "Unity" in various languages.	We All Need Something to Believe In 2002 Poster is printed on white paper with a black and white photo of Magic Johnson. At the right is "we all need / something to believe in. / -Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson". At the bottom right is a phone...
Positive Lives Inkworks Press, printer 1997 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is a photo of two men sitting in a hospital bed with a man and woman on each side. Below the image is a caption. At the bottom of the poster...	You Must Remember This... 1988 Poster has a beige printed background. At the top is "You Must Remember This..." At the center is a black and white photo of two figures leaning in towards each other, with their faces bleeding...