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.

View results as Grid View results as List Browse Full Collection Advanced Search

Earth is Finite - Greed is Infinite: Protect the Earth Ariel Parkinson, Berkeley Graphic Arts ~ printer 1969 Poster is printed on yellow paper with black text and image. In the center is a circle with an image of the earth with figures above it. The figures are a skeleton, a baby and people with top...	Announcing! A workshop in silkscreen printing 1976 Poster is printed on brown cardstock and has light blue text with dark blue images. In the center is a female figure showing her face an long hair in light blue with dark blue shadows. In the...
untitled (man speaking toward the sky) Charles White 1974 Poster has a central drawn oval image of a man with his face pointed toward the sky and his mouth opened in speech. Verso of poster has information on Charles White. At the top right is a black...	Get Stoned Shoot Junk 1971 Poster from Good Times newspaper unfolded. Image is a black and white photograph of a man lying on the ground in a cemetery, with a syringe in his arm. Brush/weeds and a headstone with a cross...
Merry Christmas Late 20th Early 21st Century This is a black poster with a black and white image of a Christmas tree made up of junk cars and other garbage. "Merry Christmas" is printed in white above the tree. Small, white text...	Who makes air dirty Jeff Fisher, designer, illustrator 1996 Poster has an unprinted white border all around. In the border at the top is "who makes air dirty?" in black. In the border at the bottom is "we All do!!! ...and we can clean it,...
Production and Reduction 2002 This is a two-sided, horizontally-oriented poster with an illustration of a building with all the rooms visible from the side. Blue text at the top of the page reads "Production and...	Lookit Mommy! 1987 This poster includes a black and white photograph of a little girl in a bathing suit on a beach. She is holding several tampon applicators and a syringe. Large text above the image reads "...
The Changing Economics of News 2005 Poster has a gray printed background with semi-transparent color images of currency from aroundthe world at the left. Across the top is "The Changing Economics Of News / who will pay for excellent...	Rush Scores 1995 Poster printed on white paper. At the center is a multicolor, stylized cartoon-like image of Rush Limbaugh in a football uniform running across the goal line with a cigar. At the top and bottom...
Smut Fest Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has black and pink ink printed on white paper. At the top is "It''s Time To Hide The Children!!!!" in pink and "One Night Only - From New York City / Stephen Parr - Jennifer Blowdryer...	Jane Fonda in Oakland 1979 Poster has black ink printed on white paper. At the top is "Jane Fonda / in / Oakland" followed by a photo of Fonda. Near the center is "''Julia'' / Monday, June...
The Inner Workshops: Teachings of the Ascended Masters Summit University, publisher 1981 Poster with a list of workshops: The Control of the Human Aura, The Science of the Spoken Word, Sound: the Creative Source, The Lost Years of Jesus, Wholeness through Spiritual Healing, Karma and...	The Last Man 1970 Poster has a color photo of a man in military uniform standing in the ocean holding a waving American flag. The top edge of the poster is white with "The Last Man" at the left and a quote by...
One More Time 1990 Poster has a black printed background with white text and a blurred image at the right showing a naked figure with a design projected over his torso. At the top right is "One More Time". Down the...	Harvest Fair Inkworks Press, printer 1985 Poster has a red background with "The Cooperative" across the top in black followed by a black and white horizontally lined background with a pair of white hands holding up colorful fruit. Beneath...
untitled (man out of window) Late 20th Early 21st Century Poster has a sepia tone photo showing a man with his head out of a window of a brick building with a hat in his right hand and a can in his left hand, both also out of the window.	Support The People's War In Peru circa 1986 Middle of poster is a large image of a female revolutionary holding a rifle. She is half covered in a red flag with a Hammer & Sickle emblem that is also half covering Planet Earth. Top of...
1983-84 Volunteer Work Brigades to Nicaragua Doug Minkler, artist 1984 Multi-color poster printed on white paper. An image of a peach-colored and a brown-colored hand, each holding a long branch with green leaves and red colored berries, appears at center on a red...	Su Paz es Nuestra Paz [Your peace is our peace] Inkworks Press, printer, Lincoln Cushing, artist 1983 Poster has a blue background with a green sillhouette of South America. In the center is a white dove holding the medical symbol in red. Poster has yellow and white text. It reads, "Su Paz es...
1983-84 Volunteer Work Brigades to Nicaragua Doug Minkler, artist, Inkworks Press, printer 1984 Multi-color poster printed on white paper. An image of a peach-colored and a brown-colored hand, each holding a long branch with green leaves and red colored berries, appears at center on a red...	Celebremos la Victoria de Nicaragua 1980 Poster has red background in the center with two blue bars at the top and the bottom. In the center are two drawings of men, on the left is AC Sandino and on the right is Carlos Fonseca. Below...
Nicaragua: Mi Tierra El Mundo Mi Vida Inkworks, printer, Malaquias Montoya, artist c. 1979 Poster has a black and orange background with white and orange text. In the center is an image of two figures; the figure to the left is a male behind a couple of bars, the figure to the right has...	Nicaragua Kevin McKiernan, artist, Mackintosh Printing, printer c. 1983 Poster has a white background with black text. In the center is a photograph of a boy with his arms crossed and sitting down. Around the photograph is an image of red crosshairs with 1983 at the...