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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San Francisco Mime Troupe: Free Shows in the parks Dina Redman ~ artist, La Raza Silkscreen Center ~ print shop c. 1976 Long rectangular poster with several images in the center. The images show people performing dance, theater or music. The edges of the poster reads, "San Francisco Mime Troupe/ Free Shows in the...	Acid Man Double-H Press, Doug Markkanen 1967 Poster has a red background with a figure in the center. The figure has blue and white striped shirt and black and red plaid pants. The words peace, love, and reality integrated into the figure...
San Francisco Mime Troupe: Free Shows in the parks Dina Redman ~ artist c. 1976 Long rectangular poster with images in the center. The images show people performing plays, dancing, and music. The poster reads along the edges, "San Francisco Mime Troupe Free Shows in the Parks...	Endangered Species: Portraits of a Dying Millennium Dierdre Luzwick ~ artist 1992 Poster has a black and white drawing of a forest. The trees of the forest have scared faces that appear to be praying. Around the trees are flowers and animals, such as deer, monkeys, frogs, birds...
(Beatles song lyric) Dibble ~ artist c. 1969 Poster has a Beatles song lyric printed in the shape of the United States of America. The letters are blue, some have red dots or stripes. The poster reads, "You don't know how/ lucky you are boy...	The Women's Institute for Psychotherapy: Ending sexism: A One Day Conference Creative Women's Collective, Dianne Orkin Footlick ~ artist 1976 Poster has a blue background with an image of a hand holding a bouquet of white flowers. The flowers have green stems with gender symbols in the middle. The hand has "a bouquet is better" printed...
The 13th Marin City Community Festival Dewey Crumpler ~ artist, Sequoyah Graphics ~ printer 1987 Poster has a light grey border with a red box in the center. In the box is a black rose being held by a hand. The top edge has black text that reads, "The 13th Marin City Community Festival." The...	Weedies "Breakfast of Headstarters" Dennis Dent ~ artist 1969 Poster overall is a stylized Wheaties box. The background is bright orange with a white triangle at the top that has "General Grass" logo in blue. Below is "Weedies" in large white lettering with...
For a new Look: Morrison Dennis Beall ~ artist 1967 Small poster with a red and blue striped background. On the left is the a blue silhouette of a man's profile. The poster has red with a black outline lettering. It reads, "For a New Look/ Morrison...	Women Invented Cheese Deborah Green ~ artist 1977 Top of poster reads: "Women / Invented / Cheese" Below is a line drawing of three female figures holding trays fo cheese. Each figure is accompanied by a description, from left to right: "Mrs....
Free Angela David Mosley ~ artist c. 2007 Poster has a large black and white drawing of Angela Davis in the center. She is wearing a turtleneck sweater and glasses. In the center is "Free Angela" in blue. Below the drawing is a quote by...	Viva El Salvador Libre! Deborah Green ~ artist 1985 Poster has a center image with a light blue background. In the center is a drawing of a woman with long black hair topless holding a white dove up towards a white flower with green stem. The...
(Erotic Smoking Ethnic Couple) David Hodges ~ artist, The Blessed Trinity ~ publisher c. 1967 Poster has nude seated male figure with markings on his forehead and pierced ears. The figure is holding the hose of a hooka in his left hand. A nude female figure is reclining into the lap of the...	The Invisible Circus: A 72 Hour Environmental Community Happening David Hodges ~ artist, San Francisco Poster Co. ~ publisher 1967 The top edge of the poster has a border created by two stylized hyena on either side of a stylized bird. Below is the text: "The / Invisible / Circus" behind this the word "free" is repeated...
Roses in December : An ecumenical prayer service -- David Fichter ~ artist 1982 Poster has an image of a girl wearing a purple and blue diamond pattern shirt holding out her hand with a red rose. In the background are hills with four blue crosses. Printed in black at the top...	Rebecca Riots: Freight & Salvage Coffee House Dandy Co. ~ workshop c. 2004 Small poster with a light green background with blue text. In the center is a drawing of three iris flowers with dark green stems and light tan flowers. The poster reads in blue, "Rebecca Riots/...
Document and Defend the Struggle Dan Allen ~ artist, Dan Duffy ~ artist, Jos Sances, Mission Grafica ~ print shop c. 1985 The poster has a white border and a black background. The top edge has the text: "Document & Defend the Struggle / Documenter et Defendre la Lutte / Documentar y Defender La Lucha", just below...	Ski Israel: Matzoh Mountain Country D. Booty ~ artist 1969 Poster has a drawing the center that has a diagonal yellow background and a pyramid on the left. The drawing is of a fat man in a tn safari suit smoking a cigar and holding a gun. In his pocket...
200 years without equality Creative Women's Collective 1976 Poster has a drawing of the Statue of Liberty in the center. The statue is pictured from the chest up. Above the drawing is "200 years without equality."	(Vietnamese woman) Creative Women's Collective 1970 Poster has a black and yellow photograph at the top center of a Vietnamese woman with a gun pointed at her head. Above the photograph is "The New York Times Sunday September 13, 1970." Below the...
Rape is a Crime Against Women Creative Women's Collective c. 1972 Poster is printed on red paper with yellow text in English and Spanish. The background is of a woman's face that is half in shadow. The face is in dark red and is repeated overall. The poster...	International Women's Day: March 1977 Creative Women's Collective 1977 Poster has a brown image in the center of three women's heads. The woman in the back has an earring that is the female symbol. In the area of the women's hair is "International Women's Day"...
(Louisa May Alcott postage stamp) Creative Women's Collective 1975 Poster has a blue background with a white stamp image in the center. The stamp has Louis May Alcott's image in the center with "United States Postage 5 cents" printed in the border. Below the...	Creative Women's Collective Creative Women's Collective c. 1972 Top of poster has an image of women in a screen printing shop. Below is the text: "Creative / Women's / Collective / Designed and printed by participants in CWC's Silk-screen training Program / (...