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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Wake Up! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Wake / Up!" and "From Your / Nightmare Of / Religious / Confusion". At the center is a collage of cartoons showing religious scenes,...	One Life 2004 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized blue and purple image of a figure standing at the center of a series of ripples, with his arms spread out at his sides. At the top of the...
Jesus Loves You - Kill Yourself 1972 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Jesus loves you - / kil yourself". The rest of the poster describes an event - "Meet-Your-Maker Marathon" - at which Christians throw...	2nd Annual Recovery Celebration 1993 Poster printe don pale yellow paper with a stylized image of a green mountain with orange figures standing at the peak and holding hands, with an orange sun in the background. At the top of the...
Challenging Choices 2004 Poster printed on white papper. At the top is a yellow background with "Challenging Choices" in black. At the left is a yellow oval with "Spring 2004" in black, followed by a vertical yellow box...	We're Supporting H.E.L.P. Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top and right is a stylized image of a syringe sticking into the wrist of a skeleton arm. Text at the left reads "we''re / supporting / H.E.L.P...
We T.I.P. Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has blue ink printed on browning light blue paper. At the top left is a stylized image of a man leaning his head against the bars of a jail cell. At the right is "We / T.I.P. / We Turn In...	Family Bonds Prevent Chemical Bonds Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a yellow printed background. At the left is a stylized image of a family, with the son distant, closer to the stylized image of drugs at the right. Across the top is "Family Bonds...
Yo Baby Yo! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black printed background. At the top is "Yo / Baby / Yo" in white. At the center is a black and white photo of a man with his index finger pointing forward, set on a scribble of red....	Stop for the Sake of Love Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a beige colored background. At the top is a color photo of three women in shiny maroon dresses, with one hand on their pregnant bellies and the other, palm forward, toward a tray with...
Your Smoking is Hazardous Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has red ink printed on white paper. The text, "Your Smoking / Is Hazardous / To The Health / Of Other People / Too", is surrounded by smoke coming from a lit cigarette at the bottom left....	Every Success Story Starts With a Kid Who Hated to Lose Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a purple tinted background image of a basketball, seen close up. At the top of the poster is "every success story / starts with a kid who / hated to lose." in yellow, followed by two...
Newcorpse Inkworks Press Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has an unprinted, white border and a green background overall. Poster resembles a Newport brand cigarette advertisement. The top of the poster has text in orange: "Dead with Cancer!" and a...	You Smell From Far Away Baby Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a white unprinted border and resembles a cigarette advertisement. Background is beige with a woman with yellow skin, skull earrings, and a red dress posing at the right, with wavy lines...
Barfboro Chunks Doug Minkler, artist, Inkworks Press, printer 1991 Poster has a highly stylized and colorful drawing of a pack of cigarettes. The packaging of the cigarettes resembles the popular Marlboro brand with a red top overlaid with text in white: "...	Break the Silence Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the center is a grainy image of a man in a hat searching the body of a man with his arms in the air. At the right is an image of figures with their...
Piss on Drug Testing! 1986 Poster has a black printed background with white text at the bottom and a black and white image at the top of a sheep, with a circle with a slash through it over the top. Text reads "Piss On Drug...	3 Strikes You're Out : 1994 Slavery Act Mark Vallen, artist 1994 Black and white poster shows an image of Uncle Sam tipping his hat and holding a police baton. Behind him three people are shown being arrested by police officers. "3 Strikes You''re Out / 1994...
Oral Sex Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a yellow and brown photo background of a close-up view of male genitalia. At the center is a white stylized comic image of two men talking saying "Oral / sex!" and "H-h-how safe / is it...	Do You Know AHP? 1994 Poster has a black and white photo background showing a man. At the top is "do you know AHP?" in white. At the left is "after I tested positive, / I didn''t know / where to turn- / my AHP support...
Art Show and Performance Spectacle Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and red ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Art Show / and / Performance Spectacle" in red. At the center is a stylized image of a laughing skeleton holding a bong and...	Don't Listen to Rumors About AIDS Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a multicolor photo of a woman''s face with the signature "Patti LaBelle" printed in red near the top right. Across the top of the image is "don''t...
Untitled 1995 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is a stylized image of a yellow flower losing its petals on a black hill with blue "x"s. On top of the hill is a white tower in front of a pink sky. Text...	Someone You Know Has Been Touched By AIDS Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper. The top line of text reads "Only Gay Men Get AIDS." in black, followed by "Only Gay Men And Haitians Get AIDS." in orange. Various groups keep getting added to the...