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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World Meeting of Youth and Students: Helsinki 1969 Poster has a red background with a large black and white photograph of a young man speaking. Below him is an image of a group of students. The right side reads, "World Meeting of Youth and...	Die Grunen ins Europaparlament! [The Greens in the European Parliament!] n.d. Poster has a light blue sky background with white clouds. At the bottom is a gray seating area that resembles a bull fighting ring and parliment seats. There are older men sitting around reading...
Los que han caido nos exigen que luchemos juntos para vencer [Those who have fallen demand that we fight together to win] 1982 Poster has black background with a white horizontal bar across the center with text. The top half has a black and white photograph of Che Guevara with a caption in the lower left. It reads, "...	(Dick and Jane parody) n.d. Poster has a blue background with a four panel cartoon in the center. The first panel shows a young girl helping a woman in a bedroom. Its caption reads, "I am helping Mummy to dust. Dust dust."...
Come Celebrate International Women's Day c. 1972 The center of the poster has a drawing of two women grasping hands. The woman on the left is in early 20th century dress and has 1908 written above her hand. She is holding a sign with Right to...	International Women's Day, 1979 1979 Poster has a black, red and white image of several women raising their fists and yelling. The woman in the center is holding up a red book with a white star. The poster has red text. It reads, "...
[Loni] Hancock & [Rick] Brown for [Berkeley] City Council 1971 Poster is printed on tractor-feed computer paper. In the middle is a blue peace symbol with a fist holding it up at the top edge. The poster reads in blue lettering, "April 6 Hancock & Brown...	It's your choice : Policemen or pigs Steven Levinson 1970 Poster is printed on tractor-feed computer paper. Background is blue and has a yellow square depicting a policeman with two smiling children. Below is another yellow square depicting two pink...
If You Wanrt to Know: Ask a Working Woman: AFL-CIO Working Women c.1990 Top, bottom, and left edges have yellow border. Top left corner has square divided in half diagonally with a circle in the center. Background of poster is red. Left edge has text: "If You Want"....	(poem) Japantown Art & Media Workshop ~ printer, Zand Gee 1980 Poster has an image in the center of a person in a red shirt and grey pants staring out of a window. Below the window is a green chair and a pink table. Outside the window is a yellow and orange...
Island: History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island 1910-1940 Kearny Street Workshop, Zand Gee 1980 Center of the poster has a drawing of an immigrant in red and yellow sitting at a desk. Around her are three men in dark brown and white. Above the image is "Island July 5-August 10, 1980...	A Tribute to J. Edgar Hoover The Bindweed Press, San Francisco ~ publisher, Yao ~ artist 1967 Poster has a green and pink patterned background with black lettering. The background has circle shapes, lines, and animal outlines. On the right is a black and white photograph of J. Edgar Hoover...
Keller's Cruising Hard Bar Paris Xavier Giquel ~ artist c. 1996 Poster has a black and white drawing as the background and white text. The background is of two men standing in a brick room with bars on the window. One man is on his knees in bondage gear while...	International Women's Day: Sunday- March 9 Wilma Bonet ~ artist c. 1980 Poster is printed on yellow paper. In the center are three women of different ethnicities with red and orange stripes radiating from behind them. There are drawn above a rainbow. Below is "...
Maya Angelou Inaugural Poem : January 20, 1993 Workers Action Press ~ printer 1993 Small poster with a black and white photograph of Maya Angelou seated. Over her shirt in white is, "Maya Angelou Inaugural Poem January 20, 1993." The poem reads, "History, despite Its wrenching...	Impeach [Lyndon B.] Johnson Walt Kelly ~ artist, William Weege ~ artist 1967 Poster is white with red text and images. In the center are three naked women. They are doing the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil actions with their hands. Below the women is a strip...
Presented in San Francisco by Bill Graham: Grateful Dead & From Chicago James Cotton Wes Wilson, West Coast Lithograph Co. ~ printer 1966 Poster has a grey and yellow wavy border with a black background and yellow text. On the left is a person with a large arm reaching out and holding a peace symbol. Top edge has "Presented in San...	Pablo Neruda! Presente! [You are remembered] Rachael Romero ~ artist, Wilfred Owen Brigade 1976 Poster is in black and white and has a white outline of a man wearing a cap and scarf in the center. The bottom edge has "Pablo Neruda !Presente!" printed in black with a white border. The...
Bill Graham presents in San Francisco: Jefferson Airplane: Jimmy Reed Wes Wilson, West Coast Lithograph Co. ~ printer 1967 Poster has a salmon colored background with purple text and green images. In the center are green and pink drawings of figures meshed together. The poster reads, "Jefferson Airplane Jimmy Reed /...	Benefit for Berkeley Strike Committee with Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Dino Valenti, Country Joe and the Fish Wes Wilson, West Coast Lithograph Co. ~ printer 1967 The poster has five stylized human figures in green and purple. The poster reads from top to bottom in purple text: "Bill Graham Presents In Dance - Concert / Jefferson Airplane / Quicksilver /...
New Mobilization West [San Francisco demonstration] Tea Lautrec Litho ~ printer, Wes Wilson 1966 Poster has a red background with blue text and a black and white drawing in the center. The center has a drawing of a colonial man making a peace sign with one hand and the profile of a soldier...	The Art of Rock [book] Seriphics ~ printer, Wes Wilson 1987 Poster has a purple background with a blue figure at the bottom center. The figure has a blue body and hair that is red and yellow flames. Above the figure is "A Spectacular Visual and Oral...
Are We Next? Be Aware Tea Lautrec Litho ~ printer, Wes Wilson 1967 Top edge of poster has the text: "Are We Next?". The poster has seven red and white vertical stripes overall. The middle of the poster has a swastika in blue with white stars. At the bottom of the...	An exhibition of psychedelic posters in the Student Union Double-H Press, Wes Wilson 1967 Poster has a red and purple swirl pattern border around a white and red dot border. In the center is a green and purple dotted image of a face. The poster reads, "An exhibition of psychedelic...