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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Will they turn you on or will they turn on you? 1970 Poster has a black background with green text and an orange and pink swirl pattern. In the center is a large question mark shape with neon orange and pink swirls. At the bottom is an orange circle...	2 Heads 1967 Poster has an all over swirl and checked pattern in blue, turquoise, yellow red and white. Integrated into the pattern is "2 Heads" and the outlines of two hands, eyes, a nose and a mouth.
Support Your Local Police 1970 Poster has an all over black and white photograph of two young men and a young woman sitting ia grassy field. One man is holding a matchbook that has a circle with "support your local police"...	Decriminalize Marijuana: Yes on [California proposition] 19 1972 Poster has red text and blue images. In the center is a small city jail building with barbed wire around the top. In the barred window is an Uncle Sam figure. The top edge has a small banner with...
Businessmen are going to pot c. 1969 Poster has a black and whtie photograph of three businessmen sitting on a flying carpet. The men are all wearing suits and sitting around a metal hookah. The carpet is flying over New York's Wall...	Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life 1968 Poster has a white border. Poster has a blue and white photograph of a young girl walking in a wooded area. The girl has blonde hair and is wearing a dress and a coat. Across the bottom of the...
The Bringers of Light & The Straight Theater Present: The Equinox of the Gods 1967 Poster has a white border. At the top edge is the text: "The Bringers of Light & The Straight Theater / Present". Below is a drawing laid out like a stylized ancient Egyptian frieze or wall...	Youth International Party manifesto! c. 1968 Poster has a black background with large red star in the middle with a green marijuana leaf over it. Above the star is "Youth International Party Manifesto!" Around the star in white...
Turn the Tide in Miami 1968 Poster has a white background with a thin blue line at left, top, and bottom edges. Poster has a blue background with a stylized map of the United States of America in yellow. There are small red...	Untitled (Berkeley Bonaparte poster catalog) 1967 Poster has small images of posters available from Berkeley Bonaparte Posters. Each poster has a small title, dimensions, and artist printed underneath. The bottom right area has a small black...
Roots against war : March in San Francisco 1990 Poster has an image at the top of abstract people holding protest signs and banners in red. The top image reads, " Jan 15 Roots Against War No Blood for Oil Resiste y marcha contra la guerra...	(Salvation Army Banned postage stamp) 1967 Poster has an image of a green and white one-cent postage stamp. In the center is an oval brown and white photograph of the band members driving in a van. Under the photo is "salvation" with "army...
(Mei Di Bi Bai) 1966 Poster has a large drawing of an Asian woman in a light green shirt and khaki pants. She has a red and yellow checked scarf and is holding a gun. Below her are small cartoon drawings of soldiers...	(Chinese military) c. 1951 Poster has a rigd background at the top with two men in yellow military uniforms. They are wearing helmets with the communist symbol on them and holding large guns. They are showing books with...
(Mao Zedong) c. 1974 Poster has a drawing across the center of a crowd of people raising their arms up towards Mao Tse Tung. Mao is holding his arm up and wearing a green military uniform. Below the image are Chinese...	(Asian military men) c. 1972 Poster has red and white stripes at the top radiating out from a circle. In the circle is a black and white drawing of a man's head. The man has on a hat with a red star. Below are several men in...
(Chinese woman) 1976 Poster has a drawing of a woman wearing jeans and red and white shirt in the center. She has a messenger bag on and is holding a bag full of newspapers. The newspapers have Asian characters on...	Oil as a Weapon 1972 At top poster has a green background with white, black, and gold colored text in Arabic. Across the middle of the poster is a thin black line and at right a small drawing of an oil derrick. The...
Blockade! Arms Shipments to Central America [and the] Third World : Concord Naval Weapons Station David Solnit ~ artist 1988 Poster is printed on red paper and has an image of three bayonets pointed at a hand. Above the image printed in black is "Blockade! Arms Shipments to central America/ the third world....	Ökotopia [Ecotopia] 1980 Poster has black border. Poster has a drawing of an idyllic scene. The scene contains various fantastical architectural structures, composed of multi-colored faceted pieces. Some of the...
War Resisters League - West presents a benefit concert to stop the draft [and] militarism 1980 Poster has a dark green border with performing bands "Oquisha Paradox - New Critics - Psychotic Pineapple" printed in yellow around the edge. In the upper half there is a drawing of two orange and...	Juventud Comunista [Communist Youth] 1970 Top of poster has 15 small yellow, blue, and red circles. Center of poster has a large yellow circle wit the text: "Juventud Comunista". Bottom of the poster has the text: "Culmina Su VII Congreso...
Salvemos a Elian [We will save Elian] 2000 Poster has a photograph of Elian Gonzalez behind two blue bars with white stars. Below is "Salvemos a Elian" in red lettering.	Viva el Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional [Long live the Sandinista National Front for Liberation] Antonio Frasconi, Malaquias Montoya 1984 Poster has a grey and black drawing of a man's face (Augusto Cesar Sandino) as the background. The lower left has another face in shades of brown and yellow. The right has red lettering that...