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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Stop War Nathan Oliveira ~ artist 1968 Poster has a black background with a white face in shadow. It is bordered in red. Below is "Stop War" in large black lettering. According to Peter Selz' 2002 biography on Oliveira, the...	Abolish War Nathan Oliveira ~ artist 1968 Poster has a dark purple background with a black face silhouetted with white eyes. Below is handwritten text in black. "Abolish War" is printed in large black letters across the bottom. ...
Start a Peaceful Habit Today! Please Recycle Nancy Gorrell ~ artist c. 1980 Small poster with a black and white drawing at the top. The drawing depicts USA playing a poker game against the USSR with the world's resources minerals, and oil as the bet. The USA person is...	Bring the troops home now Nancy Coner ~ artist c. 1967 Poster has a drawing that is outlined in thick black lines and colored with red and yellow. In the top center is a large circle that has several small images of soldiers, guns, and protestor...
Nicaragua Week: The Reconstruction: A Week of Awareness La Raza Graphics ~ print shop, N. Hart ~ artist c. 1980 Poster has an image of an open book in the top center area. The left page of the book is blue with an image in the center of two children. The right page of the book is red and black with a shovel...	Break the Silence: Punks for Palestine Naji al-Ali ~ artist 2004 Small poster printed on brown paper with dark blue text and turqouise image of a plant with leaves. The top edge has "Break the Silence" and the bottom has "Punks for Palestine." In the center is...
Black is Beautiful Morris-Greene ~ artist 1969 Poster has a brown background with black text. "Black is Beautiful" is printed in large black letters covering most of the poster. On the right is a drawing of a man's head with a...	Pig Pen - The Grateful Dead Berkeley Bonaparte, Mouse Studios ~ workshop, Orbit Graphic Arts ~ printer c. 1967 Poster has a black and white photograph of Pig Pen sitting at a table in a room. He is wearing a leather hat and boots and is situated to the right side of the poster. Behind him is a circle...
Critical Mass: 10 Years Mona Caron ~ artist 2002 Poster has a light purple border around center images. The top has a box that fades from purple to orange and has bicycle gears with critical mass written in several different languages above. In...	(Jose Marti quote) Modesto Braulio ~ artist 1977 Poster has a bright blue border around a black and white drawing of Che Guevara's head. The background behind the head is light red. The bottom has white text that reads, "nosotros amamos mas cada...
Images of Change Exhibition Mission Grafica ~ printer 1987 Poster has a light brown background with black and white text and images. The top edge has a woman screenprinting in black. Above her are three black squares with white symbols: peace symbol, yes...	The Mountain Play : Mill Valley Community Center Mission Grafica ~ printer c. 1985 Poster a white border around a blue background. In the center is an abstract drawing of swirls and lines. The bottom border has "'the Mountain Play' Mill Valley Community Center/ An Environmental...
A los 46 Anos de su Muerte Sandino Vive! [The spirit of Sandino lives 46 years after his death] Mission Cultural Center Graphics 1980 Poster has a red and black border with a ceneter black and white image of A.C. Sandino. He is wearing a hat a red scarf. Above the image is "A los 46 anos de su muerte Sandino vive!!"...	untiled (Castro and Market street signs) Mike Angel Productions ~ workshop 1981 Black and white poster with an image of Michaelangelo's David statue standing next to a pole with street signs. The signs are for Castro and Market, with San Francisco written in small text at the...
Lilth : A Women's Theatre Collective: Manifesto Barbara Morgan, Michele Linfante ~ artist, Red Pepper Posters ~ workshop 1978 Poster has an image in the center of the San Francisco skyline with a dark blue sky. Floating in the sky are three women all wearing black. At the top is, "Lilith/ A Women's Theatre Collective/...	End the Selective Slavery System Berkeley Free Press, Michael Wilson ~ artist c. 1969 Poster has a red, pink, yellow, and orange background. Printed over the background is a black line drawing of a nude male holding a ball in one hand a chain in the other. The chain is broken in...
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters & Maids Justseeds Artists? Cooperative ~ publisher, Meredith Stern ~ artist, Stump Town Printers ~ printer 2004 Small poster with brown background and light tan and blue images. In the center are three drawings that outline a quick history of the brotherhood. The poster reads, "Begun 1925 The Brotherhood...	Nuclear film forum Max Gisko ~ artist 191 Poster has a red background with a large white atom in the center. The electron paths are made up of film strips. Below the image is "Nuclear Film Forum October 26-November 18, 1981 First...
Peace Corps Mary Sister Corita ~ artist n.d. Poster has a green and blue border around the top, right and bottom edge. In the center is red waves and text. The top edge has "Peace Corps" printed in dark green. The center reads, "I don't know...	If you work for peace stop paying for war Mary Lynn Sheetz ~ artist 1983 Poster has a double red border with an image of a cannon in the center. In the cannon's barrel a dove has made a nest with eggs. Above the cannon is "If you work for peace" printed in black...
El Salvador Vencera [El Salvador will win] Mark Vallen ~ artist 1983 Poster has an image in the center of a woman wearing a yellow shirt with a red bandana over her face. Above her is "El Salvador" and below is "Vencera" printed in black.	No Human Being is Illegal Mark Vallen ~ artist 1988 Poster has a black and white drawing of a young woman and man standing at a tall chainlink fence. Above the poster in dark brown is "Ningun ser Humano es Ilegal" and below the poster is "No Human...
New World Odor Mark Vallen ~ artist 1991 Poster has a red and black speckled background at the top with white text. Below are birght yellow and black skulls and bones in a pile. The top center has "New World Odor" printed in blackletter...	Sandinista Mark Vallen ~ artist 1986 Poster has an image of a man wearing a dark green fatigue shirt and holding a flag on a stick above his head. The flag is red and black and has an outline of a person wearing a cowboy hat in white...