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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Negro Nation Day Festival 1975 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top center is "Celebrate / Negro / Nation / Day Festival" with a Spanish translation and date (June 21) to the right. Near the top is a schedule...	Festival of African and Afro-American Art and Culture Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster printed on white paper, with a brown and yellow background design. At the top is "Wilson College presents". At the center is "festival of / African and Afro- / American art and / culture /...
Making History With Black Music 1989 Poster has a multicolor, stylized image of instruments in the fore, on a stage in front of people conversing. At the bottom of the poster is "making history / with Black music / MCA Records" in...	Celebrating Black Music 1991 1991 Poster has a multicolor background photo showing a man with his arm around a woman and a child with a boom box and a dog all standing in front of a brick wall with graffiti all over it, reading "...
Alvin Ailey Jack Mitchell, photographer 1992 #VALUE!	Alvin Ailey Jack Mitchell, photographer 1991 Poster printed on white paper. At the center is a black and white photo of a shirtless, male dance, with his right leg in the air. At the top and bottom of the image is "Alvin / Ailey" in blue and...
Dance Theatre of Harlem 1981 Poster printed on white paper. At the center is a color photo of a female dancer in a dress leaping with her arms out. Gray text reads "dance / theatre / of / Harlem". At the bottom is the address...	Native Son 1986 Poster has a stylized black and purple image of a figure''s face, seen from the side, set on a blue and black background. At the top is a strip of red with "Based On The Novel By Richard Wright /...
Harlem Nights 1989 Poster has a silver printed background. At the center is a multicolor image of two men in top hats, with a female figure standing in front of a car below. Text within the image reads "they''re /...	Do the Right Thing 1989 Poster has a blue printed background with color photos of a man with his arms crossed over his chest, a young man holding a pizza box, and a girl lying on the ground writing in chalk. Text reads "...
Daughters of the Dust Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a blue printed background with a black and white photo at the center of a woman in a lond dress sittin gon a chair made of tree branches. At the top are film reviews in white and "...	Untitled 1963 Poster has a black printed background with white unprinted edges. At the center is an image of a bed, as seen from above. To the left of the bed is a woman with her shirt unbottoned. At the right...
untitled (Playboy covers) 1979 Poster has thumbnail images of past Playboy magazine covers.	untitled (1998 calendar) 1998 Poster has a blue printed background. At the top left is "1998" in red. On the left are multicolor, stylized images of families embracing. At the left center is "a heritage that is built on / the...
untitled (graphic design) 1968 Poster has a blue printed background with a circle at the center, filled with other, multicolor geometric shapes. At the center is a small pink and blue yin yang.	Message 2 1968 Poster has a black printed background with white clouds at the bottom. At the top is a stylized image fo a black shape in a scene with water, a sun and clouds, in shades of pink, purple, and...
The Love-Ins 1967 Poster printed on white paper with a pale blue border. At the top left is "The / Hippies And / Diggers / Are Here!" in blue. At the top center is a multicolor image of the backs of two figures...	Jefferson Airplane 1967 Poster has a background printed like brown wood boards. At the top is a stylized image of a crude airplane with "Jefferson / Airplane" above and below in red. At the top right are yellow...
untitled (Allen Ginsberg in hat) Personality Posters Mfg. Co. Inc. 1967 Poster has a black and white photo of Allen Ginsberg, wearing a stars and stripes top hat.	Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas 75 1975 Poster has a multicolor, stylized image of the desert, with a bird int he sky with airplane wings. Across the bottom of the poster is "Rolling Stones Tour Of The Americas 75" in red.
Janis Joplin Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has pink ink printed on white paper with a photo of Janis Joplin singing at a microphone. At the top is "Janis Joplin / 1943-1970".	Joint Show 1967 Poster has pink edges enclosing a black background with a stylized image of a seated woman with yellow hair holding a ball with "Joint Show" in pink and blue in her left hand. In the woman''s body...
Life: But That's What This Music Is All About Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has white, blue and red ink screenprinted on thick, flexible plastic. The text is repeated three times, once in each color, and reads "Life / but thats wh / at this musi / c is all about...	Wanted Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster with a central photographic image of Jim Morrison (vocalist for The Doors), with the texted "WANTED" above, and text below "In the county of Dade / For: Lewd and lascivious behavior in...