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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1982

Poster has a blue background with white text and images. At the top is an outline drawing of several men pulling a fish net out of water with fish in it. The image is mirrored below but with the...

1983

Poster has a light blue background with subtle light green and grey stripes. In the center are white outlines of people holding hands. Next to the people are village names, Burghfield, Aldermaston...

2006

Poster has a large red star in the center with "APPO" printed ablove in black. There are two native drawings on either side of the star. The bottom edge has two fists holding a barbed wire. The...

1967

Poster has a gold colored background with red text and images. Around the edges are red swirl borders and zodiac symbols. The bottom center has a pyramid and a male figure with wings. The center...

c. 1972

Poster is printed on yellow paper and has an image of a young woman wearing a red shirt and black pants. She is holding a gun on her back and plants in arms. In front of her is a pig eating out...

1974

Poster has a thick white border overall. Poster has a black background. The upper left portion of the poster has a photograph of three police officers wearing wide brimmed hats and masks that...

Gay Students' Union presents: St. Valentine's Revolutionary Emacipation [sic]
1971

Poster has an image of green hills with a red heart that has yellow sun rays. Over the sun is a rainbow with blue sky. Puffy clouds are around the rainbow with text. The poster reads, "Gay...

1967

Poster has a blue border with a yellow background. In the center are three large red flowers with blue text on each petal. Around the flowers are blue fern leaves and small red and blue flowers....

1981

Poster has a photo of a brick building with a mural painted on its side, overall. The mural depicts a giant skeleton draped in the flags of the United States of America, Great Britain, and the...

c. 1972

Poster has an image in the center of a quilt. The quilt has different patches of patterns and images of women working together. Around the edge of the quilt are white shilhouettes of female...

c. 1990

Poster has a black rectangle in the center with white text and a yellow image. At the bottom center is a yellow flower with one leaf raised like a hand. Above is "Planetary Papermache Propaganda...

1967

Poster has a turquoise background with a drawing of a woman with long purple and turquoise hair in the center. The woman is holding mistletoe and a peace symbol ornament under pine branches. The...

1970

Poster is a long rectangle with a center image of a squirrel wearing a soldier hat firing a machine gun at another squirrel that is being torn apart by the bullets. They are standing in a desert...

n.d.

Poster has a black and white photograph in the center of a police officer wearing a ski mask and holding a large machine gun. The upper left corner has a logo for Police Against the New World...

1970

Poster has an outlined banner at the top with "Free the Soledad Brothers" printed in it. There are three black and white photographs with labels under. The top photo has "Photograph by Ruth-Marion...

1970

Poster is printed on yellow paper with black and red text and images. In the center are three drawings of pigs dressed as people. The largest pig has on a police uniform with "Pride Integrity Guts...

1969

Top edge of poster has text: "Everybody get one and stick it up where it can be seen by everybody else." Below poster has ornate black and white border with leaf like shapes reminiscent of...

1980

Poster has a yellow background at the top with an infinity symbol made of green and blue stripes. In the center of the infinity is the earth focused on North and South America. Below in blue is "...

c. 1970

Small blue and white poster that has an image of a blue house with a chimney on the right of the roof. In the house outline is "A Home for Peace" printed in white block lettering.

1969

Small blue and white poster that has an image of a blue house with a chimney on the right of the roof. In the house outline is "A Home for Peace" printed in white block lettering.

1966

Poster has a bright pink background with white and orange text. In the center are two orange outlined women forming a circle. In the center of the circle is "The Psychedelic Center" in orange...

1983

Long rectangular poster with a black background and eight small white squares with images. In the center is "8 Ways to cope with being stuck between stations" printed in yellow. The suggestions...

1967

Poster has black drawing at the top of Golden Gate Park. The drawing depicts rows of trees with park benches interspersed in them. Below the drawing is "Golden Gate Park Beth van hoesen" in black...

1976

Poster has a center drawing of a Mexican man sitting on a wood box that has a UFW logo on it. The man is wearing white clothing, sandals and a large hat. On his right is a large red square that...

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