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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Year of Lenin & Trotsky Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising a public meeting and film showing relating to the Year of Lenin & Trotsky, located at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State College. Poster has a black and white photograph of...	Everything Not Prohibited is Compulsory Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with a line drawing of the Vitruvian Man with a red circle and line crossing through it. To the right the text in black reads: "Everything Not Prohibited is Compulsory." Text and image have...
Weinstein for Board of Education Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster to elect Weinstein for the Board of Education as a representative of the Socialist Workers party. Poster is black and white with black text on bottom half with a bulleted list of goals for...	Maurice Jackson City Council At Large 1984 Poster for Maurice Jackson of the Communist Party running for City Council at Large. Poster is white with black and red text and a black and white photograph of Maurice Jackson. A People Before...
People's Power! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster in support of Rasheed Storey for Mayor and Jesus Colon for Comptroller, both with the Communist party. Poster includes a black and white photo fo both candidates with "People''s Power!" in...	Katrina Proves- Republicrats Incapable of Ruling! Workers to Power! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Communist Workers Organization with text in red and black suggesting that Republicans are incapable of ruling because of their response to Hurricane Katrina.
why you should Be A Socialist! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with text about the venits of socialism. Poster includes a photo of people marking with signs, and information about a meeting of the International Socialist Organization in San Francisco...	May 1st Build the working class alternative! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising meetings on May 1st to support workers'' communisum. "May 1st" is red letters down the left side; black text to the right listing ways to support workers'' communism. Across the...
Wanted for Robbery of the Working Class! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Marxist-Leninist Youth Organization with a black and white photograph of Nelson Rockefeller and a list of statistics regarding the rich, working class, and taxes. Text in black on...	Free the U.N. 2 Circa 1980 Poster describing an incident in 1980 where two people threw red paint at the U.S. and Soviet ambassadors at the United Nations. The poster is in support of the two people, who were charged with...
Rock D.C. Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising a benefit concert to support Bob Avakian, with bands Prairie Fire and The Tares. Poster has an illustration of the capital building in Washington, D.C. with a large wave around...	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Revolutionary Communist Party with quotes from leader Bob Avakian and an invitation to support the party. Text at bottom with information about obtaining literature by mail or in...
You Can't Have Capitalism without Racism Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Party for Socialism and Liberation with a quote from Malcolm X in black type in center, with a red star. Red border at top with white text, and black border across bottom with white...	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with a bulleted list of new presentation by Bob Avakian, the chairman of the RCP, USA. Poster has a light black and white image of snow-covered mountains, with bulleted list superimposed on...
Sunday Evening Discussions @ Revolution Books Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster advertising Sunday evening discussions at Revolution Books in Berkeley. Poster has black text on yellow paper, with a reproduction of a Revolution poster at center with a photograph of the...	Yo! The World Is Being Turned Upside Down! David Turnley, photographer Circa 1990 Poster advertising the 1990-91 Revolutionary Journalists Tour. Text at center is in bold red type. Text below in white on black background about revolutionary journalism and the participants in...
Book Release Party: From Ike to Mao and Beyond 2005 Poster advertising a book release party for the book "From Ike to Mao and beyond: My Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist" by Bob Avakian. Poster has a photograph...	We don't want out fair share... We want to tear the whole system down! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Revolutionary Communist Party with quotation in black text about tearing down the system and revolutionary war. Around text or newspaper clippings and a red border.
They say they will Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for a documentary about the Revolutionary Communist Party USA> Poster has two video images--an apartment building and a young man looking through binoculars, with the title of the film in...	Vote Socialist Workers Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for Socialist Workers campaign advertising a rally in San Francisco, with Olga Rodriguez for Governor and Dan Styron for U.S. Senate. Poster has black text on white background. There is a...
To make a Revolution...It takes Revolutionaries. Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Young Socialist National Convention, with black and white photographs in a grid, including: Malcolm X, Vladimir Lenin, Che Guevara, Rosa Luxemburg, Emiliano Zapata, James P. Cannon...	Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Socialist Workers campaign advertising an event in Berkeley. Poster has black text on white paper, At right is a black and white photograph of a woman holding a hand-painted sign...
Paul Boutelle for Mayor of New York Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster for the Socialist Workers Campaign, to urge voters to vote for Paul Poutelle in the New York City Mayoral election. Text is purple on top of a black and white photograph with Paul Boutelle...	No draft! Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster asking voters to vote for Socialist Workers party. Poster has red and black text on white background, with illustration of a soldier sitting on the ground with hands over his face. In front...