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.

View results as Grid View results as List Browse Full Collection Advanced Search

A Little Cocane Will Do Wonders For Your Social Life. 1989 Poster for the Maricopa County Demand Drug Reduction Program with a black and white photograph at center with four men behind bars in a jail cell. Text describes new anti-drug laws. Black text on...	Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody thought. Paul Letourneau, photographer 2005 Poster with a color photograph of a nerve fiber, which is green with red bits sticking out of the end. Text in green below reads: "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking...
Buy One. Get One Free. 1989 Poster for the Maricopa County Demand Drug Reduction Program with a black and white photograph of an empty jail cell as seen from the outside. Text reads "Buy One." with a black and white...	OverRun AIDS 1995 Poster advertising a pledge walk in Portland, Oregon to raise money for the Cascade AIDS Project. Poster is black with a colorful illustration at left with many faces, a sun, musical instruments,...
Be A Rubberman--Use A Condom Every Time. San Francisco AIDS Foundation, publisher Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation with a black and white photograph of a man lying on a bed with only a sheet around his hips. Text below in white on black band reads: "Be A...	Roommate Wanted. 1989 Poster for the Maricopa County Demand Drug Reduction Program with a black and white photograph at center of a man sitting inside a jail cell. Text reads like a "roommate wanted" ad and also...
Flotilla For AIDS 1990 Poster advertising the annual Flotilla for AIDS event--two days of rafting on the America River to benefit Project Open Hand and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Poster has an illustration of...	The Sixth Annual Easter Basket Sale for AIDS 1997 Poster advertising the sixth annual Easter Basket Sale for AIDS, held in Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. Top half of poster is a color illustration of an easter basket with a yellow rabbit at...
Casino de Monte Carlo Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising a benefit event at Studio One in Los Angeles to raise money for Aid for A.I.D.S. Poster has a roulette table, chips to the left and right, and large dice coming toward the...	Kids Making Quilts For Kids ABC Quilts, publisher Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising a book titled "Kids Making Quilts for Kids" published by ABC Quilts. Poster is purple with yellow and white text. Top half has a color photograph of five kids sitting at a table...
Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with white text reading " ''John was OK...''/ ''Until his mamma caught him'' / ''Now he can''t go home anymore''" on a black background. At center is a photograph of implements of heroin--...	A Thousand Pints of Lite Doug Minkler, artist 1990 Poster with art by Doug Minklet. Image at center included Dan Quayle at left holding a can of Lite beer and George H. W. Bush holding a bottle of Lite beer in each hand, with his thumbs up....
don't throw your life away Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster titled "don''t throw your life away" with a color photograph of an old, dented metal garbage can. Background is gray.	You can see through a drug play Circa 1970s Poster with a color photograph of New York Giants'' tight end Bob Tucker on a football field with other players. "You can see through a drug play" is in white at top right. DEA and NFL logos at...
good drugs vs bad drugs Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster comparing "good drugs vs bad drugs." Photo at center has pencillin in a petri dish, a test, a syrings, and pink pills at left. At right, a poppy flower, a small syringe, powered drugs in...	dispense by a pharmacist Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster titled "dispensed by a pharmacist" with a color photograph of a person''s hand and wrist. Cuff of white jacket is showing. Hand is holding a prescription bottle filled with pills.
what is a narcotic? Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with a selection of drugs on a white background, including tobacco, cocaine poweder, a syrince, and a variety of pills. Text reads: "what is a narcotic? / A narcotic is a torpor producing...	drugs put you apart Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with a color photograph of a family--father and mother holding their daughter--to the left. Off to the right is a teenage boy by himself looking sad.
drugs put you out of it Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with seven buttons on a white-gray background. Six button are yellow smiley faces. The seventh button is a blue frowny face.	drugs make you sick Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with a teenage boy lying on the floor with his knees up and arms wrapped around his knees. Text reads: "drugs make you sick / Drugs hurt your body as well as your mind."
drugs put you out of focus Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with a color photograph with a distorted view of a boy''s face. Text in white reads: "drugs put you out of focus / Get it all together--live drug free."	Untitled Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster with color photograph of a doctor wearing a white jacket and a stethescope around his neck. Caption reads: "take care, respect your body."
Stop Smoking Now! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Roswell Park Memorial Institute with a cartoon drawing of two trash cans. The one on the left has a pack of cigarettes at the top of the pile. "Stop Smoking" in red above, and "Now...	Teacher' Aids by Dennison: Drugs Dennison Manufacturing Company, printer 1973 Poster by Dennison Manufacturing Company that is the cover for a set of 9 posters to be used in the classroom to teach students about drug use. Poster has a color photograph with a distorted view...