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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A Mighty Ruckus Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a red background with black and white text and a central red and black image of three magazine shells over a diagram of an unassembled gun, surrounded by...	Untitled Inkworks Press 2004 Poster has orange ink printed on white paper. The background image shows a person shouting above a crowd with their hands raised. Int he background, lighter rays extend from a semi-transparent...
Old Time New Age Chautauqua 1982 Poster has brown and black ink printed on tan paper. At the top left is "Old Time / New Age / Chautauqua / 1982" followed by a list of dates and locations. Flying across the top of the poster is...	World Unity Festival 1994 Top of poster has a blue background with a red/orange circle at the center with a stylized image of a turtle with the earth on his shell at the center. Above and below the circle is "World Unity...
FolkLife Festival Herbert Siguenza, designer, La Raza Graphic Center 1984 Poster has a pink printed background. At the top is "10th Western Regional / Folklife / Festival / September 29th adn 30th, 1984" in black and yellow, follwoed by the details for the Fort Mason...	Touchstone: A Multi-Media Performance Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a black and white background image of a woman''s face campuflaged among rocks. Vertically up the lower left edge is "Touchstone / a multi-media performance". To the right is information...
CounterPulse 1st Anniversary Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper with a stylized red, black and green image of a may pole with a circle of hearts over the top. At the top of the poster is "CounterPulse 1st anniversary" in pink and...	Barc in the Park Festival Deborah Green 1987 Poster has a red printed background with yellow text and a stylized image of dogs barking at a figure at the bottom of the poster. At the top left is "Barc / in the / Park / Festival / an...
Howl! 2nd Annual Festival of East Village Arts 2004 Poster has a multicolor background showing an image graffiti painted onto a purple brick wall. The image shows human figures, a couple dancing, a baby signing into a microphone, a film strip, a...	Borderland 2004: Film Festival 2004 Poster has a green printed background. At the top is a background of a map of the US-Mexico border. Down the left are stylized black film strips. At the top, over the images, is "a...
Berkeley Arts Festival Inkworks Press Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a red printed background. At the top is a star and "Berkeley / Arts / Festival" in semi-transparent white. At the left is "Encounter / Culture / Culture / Counter". At the right is "...	Saint Stupid's Day Parade 1983 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background. At the top is "4th annual Saint / Stupid''s / Day / Parade!" At the center is a circular stylized image of a figure with a halo. The...
Radical Performance Fest 2002 Inkworks Press 2002 Poster has black ink printed on off-white paper. At the top is "Rebel Girl Productions in collaboration with 509 Cultural Center/Luggage Store Gallery / presents / 8th Annual / Radical /...	untitled (fish and event information) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a blue printe dbackground with red/orange/green stripes. At the top is "510 Events Present: / An Evening Of Art, Video & Music / Popsycho / Cactus Motel / Our Accountant" in black....
Saint Stupid's Day Parade 1989 Poster has a black background printed on white paper with circular images and logos. At the top center is a stylized figure with a halo. At the bottom is a semicircle filled with text with details...	Julia Vinograd and Alta Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top center is a stylized image of figures on and around a tree. Below the image is a poem: "I have a lover. / he loves me so much, / the sun is...
Kay McDonough/Gregory Corso/George Scrivani Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is a low quality image of a statue of a woman leaning back while grabbing the neck of an erect figure. To the left of the image is "Kay...	Gary Snyder 2005 Poster printed on white paper. The bottom has a gray and white graphic background. At the top is "Gary Snyder / poet, scholar, environmentalist" in black and red. At the center is a black and...
Living Word Festival 2004 Poster has a black printed background with yellow at the top right and red at the bottom left. At the top left is "Youth Speaks/The Living Word Project," in yellow, "Yerba Buena Center for the...	Berkeley Poetry Festival & Community Fair 2004 Poster has black ink printed on brown paper. At the top right is "5th annual / Berkeley Poetry / Festival & / Community Fair / June 5, 2004 / 11:15 am - 5 pm / Provo Park / (Civic Center Park...
Queer & Activist Performance 2004 Poster printed on white paper. At the top is "Experimental Performance Institute / EPI" and a Toni Cade Barnbar quote in black, red, orange and blue. At the center is an image of five snaking...	Poetry for the People 2006 Poster has white unprinted edges enclosing a black background with an image of a silver microphone with green leaves growing out of it at the bottom left of the poster. At the top is "African...
9th Annual Youth Speack Teen Poetry Slam Late 20th Early 21st Century Top of poster has a beige background with a stylized gree and orange image of a man speaking into a microphone in front of a crowd with his fist in the air. At the top right is a Youth Speaks...	The Day of the God Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black ink printed on gray paper. At the top left is a poem entitled "The Day fo the God." Aty the top right is a stylized image of a simple figure tossing up a large ball. At the left...