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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Racism chains both Hugo Gellert ~ artist c. 1970 Poster has a drawing in the center on a red background. There are two fists, one blue and one red chained together by blue handcuffs. The poster reads from top to bottom, "Racism Chains Both/...	If You Want it Done Right Hire a Woman Eureka Printing Co. ~ printer, Humboldt Women in Art ~ workshop 1973 Poster has an oblong border of flowers and leaves. At the top is the text: " If You Want it Done Right ". Below this is ablack and white photgraph of four women riveting and working with metal. At...
Defend the culture, the literature, the arts & crafts [Vietnam] Cambridge, Hovey Street Press, MA ~ printer c. 1972 In the top portion of the poster is an image of an armed female with black hair in profile. Her hand is raised holding a lotus blossom. Around her are swirls of green and blue, with some green...	Dia de los Muertos [Day of the Dead] Hidalgo ~ artist 2006 Poster has a dark blue background with a silver and black skull border. In the center are three skulls, one with a red and white headband with arrows, the center with a red mask, and the right...
Outdoor Benefit Concert to Stop the Dam Hawes ~ artist 1974 Poster has a blue and white drawing of a person in a speed boat on water above the silhouettes of pine trees. Below are white bubbles with faucet pouring water. The poster reads, "SSC...	World Trade for Better Living H. Gricevics ~ artist 1959 Poster has a tred backgroung with two white outlined hands and a world globe pictured from the north pole. One hand is holding wheat, the other is holding a blue car. The upper left has "May 17-24...
Cena y Baile [Dinner and dance]: April Fools Day Beneficio Para el Telcolote [benefit for El Tecolote newspaper] Fits Printing ~ printer, Gwen Roginsky ~ arts 1979 Poster has a yellow background with a green border that has red chili peppers and yellow music notes repeated. In the center is a red jester holding a mask up. The poster reads, "Cena y Baile/...	Marin Youth for Action presents...[benefit concert] Allan, Double-H Press, gut ~ artist 1967 Poster has seven silhouettes of people holding hands on the side of a hill. The person on the left end is holding an insturment and the person on the right has on a cape. Above the people is...
Ain't It Grand? Guy Colwell ~ artist c. 1972 Poster has a drawing of a man being held by two pigs who are dressed as police officers standing before a jury of people. To the left of the jury is a small room with a man being strangled by the...	Q. What's the difference between a prisoner of war and a homeless person? Guerrilla Girls ~ workshop 1991 Poster has a green background with a black and white photograph in the center of a man sleeping on bench and being poked by a police officer. Above the photo in black is "Q. What's the difference...
Grand Opening: The Western Front Greg Irons ~ artist, P.L. Co. 1967 Poster has a black background at the top with a blue banner an eagle, and an image of a wagon. The banner has "Grand Opening" in red and black lettering, and "The Western Front June 28th 895 O'...	La Guerra es un Gran Negocio. Invierta a Sus Hijos. [War is good business. Invest your sons.] Guerrero Garro ~ artist c. 1970 Top of poster has text: "La Guerra es un Gran Negocio.". Below is a drawing of an eagle holding a missile in its right talon and a gun in its left. Below this is the text: "Invierta a Sus Hijos...
Western Front Greg Irons ~ artist, P.L. Co. 1967 Poster has a red and white striped background with a blue star bunting at the top. Top center has an eagle. In the center is a black and white drawing of a wooden building front with a teepee...	The only Indian America ever gave a Damn about. Black Sheep Press ~ printer, Graphoto ~ artist, Stone Kingdom Syndicate ~ publisher 1970 Poster is printed on orange paper with black image and text. In the center is a large black and white photograph of a buffalo head nickel. Around it is a patterned border with three stylized seals...
Bill Miller for Berkeley City Council 1969 Graphic Arts of Marin Inc. ~ printer 1969 Poster has a background of blue and red designs of stars, flowers, swirls, peace symbols and eyeballs. The bottom left has a black city skyling spewing smoke with an angry old Uncle Sam figure....	Up Rising [poem] Graham Mackintosh ~ printer, Oyez ~ publisher 1965 Small poster with the poem Up Rising printed in the center. The poem is by Robert Duncan, Passages 25. This poem is extracted from Duncan's larger work "Passages" and rails against the...
Gorilla Graphics Lives: Open Summer Gorilla Graphics ~ workshop c. 1970 Poster is printed on tractor feed printer paper with blue text and image. In the center is a gorrila face with smoke coming out of its nostrils. It has on a necklace with large pendant. The poster...	(childcare issues) Gonna Rise Again Graphics ~ workshop c. 1974 Poster has a drawing of several children playing on a blue slide at a playground. In the background are three women speaking in a group. The lower left corner has brown text. It reads, "'Things...
"We need much more than patches, we need the whole coat" (Brecht poem) Gonna Rise Again Graphics ~ workshop, Lisa Kokin ~ artist 1975 Poster has a light blue background with a yellow brick building in the upper right. In the center are several men with angry expression. The man in the center is holding a child. The poster reads...	Angola: The Struggle Continues Gonna Rise Again Graphics ~ printer c. 1976 Poster has center drawing of an African woman wearing a purple print dress standing next to an African man wearing a solidier uniform. The background has green leaves and a pink and blue pattern...
Independence for Puerto Rico Fits Printing ~ printer, Gonna Rise Again Graphics ~ artist c. 1975 Poster has a background of the Puero Rican flag with images of people in the star. The front two people are of a woman in red shirt with white flowers and her arm raised, and a man in a yellow and...	Souvenir of L.A. Police Dept. [department] Love-in Gilliam ~ artist 1967 Poster has a black and white image of three fat police officers with small wings floating above an old man who fell out of a wheelchair. In the background is a sun obscured partly by clouds and...
Freewheelin' Franklin Sez: "Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope." Gilbert Shelton ~ artist, The Rip Off Press ~ publisher 1971 Poster has a thick green border. Poster has a cartoon male figure with long hair and a large nose, holding a marijuana joint in his right hand and using his left hand to point to it. The poster...	Hell no we won't go : By our decree L.A. Induction Center will be closed Gilbert ~ artist c. 1967 Poster is printed on light green paper with a light blue background. In the right center of the poster is a purple drawing of a grenade that has two heads, one representing a white male the other...