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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Demonstrate January 20: Inaugural Day R.K.M. ~ artist, San Francisco Community Press ~ printer 1972 Poster has a red background and border with white printing above and below the center image. The center image is of people protesting in front of the capital building in Washington D.C. The...	African Liberation Day May 26 R.K.M. ~ artist c. 1973 Poster has an outline of Africa with people in the center, some in ethnic dress. The man on the right is holding up a gun. Below are people protesting over yellow and black outlines of the United...
Manifestacion 20 de Enero : Dia Inaugural [Inauguration Day demonstration January 20] R.K.M. ~ artist 1972 Poster has a red background and border with white printing above and below the center image. The center image is of people protesting in front of the capital building in Washington D.C. The...	The Great Mono Lake Massacre R. Shearin ~ artist c. 1979 Poster is in the style of a movie poster. It has a drawing of a city skyline sitting on top of a hill that has an opening with water rushing out. The opening to the cave is an angry monster mouth...
U.C. Raza Day '77! [1977] Rogelio Hernandez ~ artist 1977 Poster has a yellow background that fades to orange with the outlines of people in a crowd.The people are holding up white flags, one has the UFW logo. In the center is a black and white outline...	The Sweet Mill Mountain Boys (concert) Berkeley Free Press, R. Garbell ~ artist 1966 Poster has black and white image of a male face. The figures hat and beard contain text. From top to bottom poster reads: "Nov. 4 - 5 - 6 / The / Sweets / Mill Mountain Boys / Old-Time Country /...
We All Live in Harrisburg CDM Enterprises ~ publisher, R. Cenedella ~ artist 1979 Poster has a white border. Overall poster has a black and white collage based on the painting "Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth. In the foreground a female figure in a white dress is seen from...	The only used car you can buy from this man is his own. Quanta Graphics ~ printer 1976 Long rectangular poster printed on tan cardstock. On the left is a photograph of Jerry Brown's head in black white. On the right is "The only used car you can buy from this man is his own."...
Stop Diablo Canyon Public Media Center ~ workshop 1979 Poster has a yellow background with a red and blue zig-zag path leading to a red building in the distance. Above the building is blue sky with yellow text. The text reads, "A nuclear power plant...	Honor the Peace Agreement Public Interest Communications ~ artist 1975 Poster has a light blue and dark blue background with an image of a man in a conical shaped hat and black clothing. The poster reads, "No More Broken Treaties. The Paris Peace Agreement guarantees...
Vote: Women Count Public Media Center ~ workshop 1998 Poster has has a black and white image of a woman (Rosie the Riveter) rolling up her sleeve and clenching her fist. A red speech bubble contains the word "VOTE" in white letter. Below is is the...	[SLA icon] print shop ~ People's Art Service c. 1974 Left side of poster has seven headed cobra symbol of Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). Each of the seven heads contains text. The read from left to right: "imani / fe / faith", "kuumba / creativo...
Grass! Before and After: A (Hip-pen-ing) Print Mint ~ publisher c. 1970 Small poster printed on salmon colored paper with black text. In the center is a circle with a triangle in the center. Below is the top fo a plam tree. The poster has text that is integrated into...	Support the Farmworkers Initiative 1976: Guarantee Free Elections [Proposition 14] Press for Freedom ~ print shop c. 1976 Poster has thick white border overall. Poster has a photograph of six farm workers in a field bent over picking crops in black and pink. The top right corner has the United Farm Workers stylized...
(Matsuo Basho poem) Ilka Hartmann ~ photographer, Print Mint ~ publisher c. 1970 Poster has a black and white photograph of a muddy hand holding up a dirty, muddy duck. The duck is covered in grass and sticks. On the left is "The sea darkening.../ voices of/ wild...	Class Struggle is the Key Link Poster-Film Collective (UK) ~ workshop c. 1975 Poster has small images overall of Asian people. The top has outlined images of boys holding onto a long stick in red and black. Below is a group of people in black and white. The bottom shows...
The Emancipation of the Workers Must be an Act of the Working Class Itself Poster-Film Collective (UK) ~ workshop n.d. Top edge of the poster has text in red: "The Emancipation of the Workers Must be an Act of the Working Class Itself Marx". Poster has a large photograph of a group of men in work clothes and...	Strikes: A school of war, but not the war itself. Poster-Film Collective (UK) ~ workshop c. 1975 Poster has a black and white photograph at the bottom of a large crowd of people with police. The top has "Strikes A school of war, but not the war itself." in large letters. Below is red text...
Chile: The New Face of Imperialism Poster-Film Collective (UK) ~ workshop c. 1977 Poster has a red background with several black and white photographs and white text. The photographs show various scenes of people and military. The poster reads, "Chile: The New Face of...	Jane Addams Book Award Philadelphia Resistance Print Shop ~ print shop c. 1965 The poster has from top to bottom. A drawing of a dove holding a red laurel branch in its mouth, trailing behind the branch is the text: "children's books / that build for peace". Below is a...
Support Our Boys in Vietnam, Korea, Germany, Japan, England, Italy, Canada... Poster Prints ~ publisher 1971 The top of the poster has a stylized drawing of a tank in day-glow colors. The front of the tank is shown with four soldiers seated on / in it. Below this image the poster has the text, in blue: "...	The amazing, stupendous, fantastic and totally unbelievable Republican Circus Peter Bramley ~ artist 1981 Poster is printed on white paper and has a yellow background. Top edge of the poster has a blue banner with the text "The Amazing, Stupendous, Fantastic, and Totally Unbelievable / Republican...
Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No Jim Marshall ~ photographer, Personality Posters Mfg. Co. Inc. ~ publisher 1966 Poster has a photograph of three young women seated on a couch looking straight ahead at the camera, overall. All three women are wearing hats; the two at right are barefoot. On the wall behind...	Stop Forced Sterilization People's Press ~ workshop c. 1974 Poster has a drawing of three women all shouting and raising one fist. Above the drawing is "Stop Forced Sterilization/ !Alto A Esterilizacion Forzada!" The bottom has "In Puerto...