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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Ahora es Cuando : Vota UFW [Now is the time - vote UFW] c. 1965 Poster has a black and white photograph of a crowd of people making peace signs with their hands. The poster reads in red text, "Ahora es Cuando/ Mayoria Aplastante/ Vota UFW." Bottom right corner...	Antonio Orendain: General President andDirector of Texas Farmworkers Union c.1977 Poster has a black and white photograph of a man with his arms crossed. Under the photograph is a quote that reads:"It is in the book of Genesis which states that upon leaving the Garden of Eden,...
A SNCC Benefit Concert: The Freedom Singers of Atlanta, Georgia 1963 Poster has a black background with white text and image. The top has a white outlined eagle with a photograph of a woman's head in a white circle. The poster reads along the left, "Bay...	Becoming Visible: the First Black Lesbian Conference 1980 Poster has a black background with the front of a woman's face in the center. Around the face in white is "Becoming The bottom edge has "The First Black Lesbian Conference San Francisco Women's...
Venceremos : Bring it home Poster has an image of Che Guevara super imposed with Ho Chi Minh in red. On the left is a gun placed vertically with four grenades in red. The top of the poster reads in red "Venceremos." On the...	(Lyndon Baines Johnson quote) c. 1968 Poster has a black and white photograph of a man throwing his head back in laughter. The man has on glasses and a light colored shirt. On the right is "There will come a time when the American...
In Concert: The Freedom Singers 1964 Small poster with an orange background with black text and image. The upper left has black outlines of people singing and raising their arms. On the right is black text, "In Concert The Freedom...	Harriet Tubman Book Center c. 1970 Poster has red background with black text and image. On the left is a black and white phtotgraph of Harriet Tubman standing next to a chair. The poster reads, "Harriet Tubman Book Center/ Books,...
Freedom Means Vote For Fannie Lou Hamer 1964 Small poster with a red bar at the top and bottom edge. In the center is a black and white photograph of a woman in profile wearing black dress and pearls. The poster reads from top to bottom,...	Light my fire Chicago [Days of Rage] c. 1969 Poster has a light brown image of the Statue of Liberty holding a gun in one arm. On the left of the image is "SDS" printed vertically in red lettering. The poster reads in red lettering, "light...
Big Time Buck White: San Francisco's beautiful black musical 1969 Poster has an image of a man wearing a tie holding one arm behind his head with his hand in a fist. The image is repeated overall in black and white and brown and black. The poster reads, Mell...	In memory of Kent [State], Jackson [State], Augusta [Georgia] c. 1970 Poster has a white background with several large red bombs and red spattering. Printed over the background in black lettering is, "In Memory Kent..Jackson..Augusta May 4 10:00 am- Memorial Meeting...
Marcus Book Stores c. 1976 Poster is an advertisement for the Marcus Book Stores. In the center is a silhouette in brown of an African tribe man in profile. Below is Marcus Book Stores with two address. San Francisco 540...	(black fist) circa 1971 Small poster that has a large black fist silhouetted in the center. This stylized type of clenched fist was created in 1967 by movement artist Frank Cieciorka. Similar variants followed...
S.F. Student Strike Fund Benefit c. 1968 Poster has an outline of a pig at the top. The poster reads from top to bottom, "S.F. Student Strike Fund Benefit/ John Handy Quintet/ Danny Duncan Dancers/ Pops Foster/ Harding Theatre 616...	Peasant Paintings from Huhsien County of The People's Republic of China 1978 Poster has an image of several fisherman holding a large net with pink and grey fish overflowing. They are knee-deep in water with grey overalls. The right side of the poster reads in black, "...
An Attack Against One Is An Attack Against All c. 1970 Poster has a large black panther in the center. The poster reads in large black letters, "An Attack Against One Is An Attack Against All/ The Slaughter of Black People Must Be Stopped! By Any...	Greensboro Massacre November 3, 1970 c. 1980 Poster has a black background with a white box in the center. There are five black and white photographs of the protestors killed. The are labeled left to right, Jim Waller, Sandi Smith, Bill...
Sickle Cell Anemia Benefit Dance 1972 Poster is printed on green cardstock with text that fades from white to yellow to pink. The top right has a drawing of a girl with two ponytails. The poster reads from top to bottom, "Local 912...	Big Afro American Thing [performance] c. 1968 Poster has a black and white background of a skyline with trees. The center of the poster reads, "Admission Free/ Big Afro American Thing." Below is "The Soul Injection and the Emotions/ Farragut...
Sandi Smith [Greensboro massacre victim] 1981 Poster has a brown colored photograph on the left of a woman with Sandi Smith in large letters above. The bottom left of the photo has a white qoute from Mark Pinsky. On the right is a list of...	Black Students of Sacramento State College Presents Black Cultural Week c. 1975 Poster has a black and white line drawing along the right edge of a mask and statue. The top of the poster reads, "Black Students of Sacramento State College Presents Black Cultural Week/ May, 11...
Michael Manley: Angela Davis: Speaking on U.S. Intervention in the Third World 1977 Small poster printed on light orange paper with black text. In the center is a drawing of Uncle Sam shooting a large gun. The poster reads, "Michael Manley Former Prime Minister of Jamaica/ Angela...	A Western States Conference on Racism and the University 1974 Poster has a black and white drawing of a weed growing in the center. The base of the weed has "Racism The Killer Weed" printed. The weed flowers have faces of people. They are labled left to...