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 the terror at Riker's Island: No more Attica's [Atticas] Come! Unity Press ~ printer, Ernest Pignon-Ernest ~ artist 1974 Small poster with a blue and red drawing of a man reaching his clenched fist through jail cell bars. The poster has text that fades from blue to red. It reads, "Stop the terror at Riker's Island/...	No draft : No war : No nukes Eric Ahlberg ~ artist 1980 Poster has a black and white image of the Statue of Liberty in the center holding a selective service registration card in the air that is on fire. Printed over the image in light blue is "No...
The Western Addition Soulfest Enrique Chagoya ~ artist, Mission Grafica ~ printer 1987 Poster has light gray background that is in the shape of a piano. There are black and white piano keys along the bottom. In the center is a red box with black music notes coming out. The top...	Harvest Festival Sun. Oct. 12 Live Oak Park Eli Leon ~ artist ~ photographer 1969 Poster has a black and white photograph of a group of hippies. They are seated in a park with trees surrounding them. Some people on the outside are playing instruments: flutes, guitars, and drums...
Human Rights: Crisis in the Southern Cone Enrique Chagoya ~ artist 1982 Poster has a dark green background with a black square in the center with a white image. Above the center image printed in red is, "Human rights" crisis in the Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina,...	Americans are 7% of the World's Population & Use over 50% of the World's Raw Materials Ecology Press ~ printer, Eli Leon ~ artist 1969 Poster has a brown and photograph of old appliances at a dump. Most of the appliances are refrigerators. The poster reads, "Americans are 7% of the World's Population & Use over 50% of the...
Visit University of California Berkeley Centennial 1868-1968 Eli Leon ~ artist 1968 Poster has a turquoise background with orange text. In the center is a circle view of U.C. Berkeley's campanile through a fish eye lens. Around the circle photograph is lettering that reads, "...	Join the Army American Newsrepeat Company ~ publisher, Edmund Shea ~ photographer 1967 Poster has an all over black and white photograph of a group sitting in front of a store front. The group is made of young men and women. Behind them is a store front for The Print Mint. The top...
Better Living Thru [through] Chemistry American Newsrepeat Company ~ publisher, Edmund Shea ~ photographer c. 1967 Poster has a photograph of a woman standing, smiling with open arms. Behind her stand two men and one woman. They are all standing on a busy city (San Francisco) street. The top edge of the poster...	The Voice of the People: KPFA Doug Lawler, East Bay Media c. 1971 Poster has a white stripe down the center with a red circle and two black bars on either side. The red circle has the outline of two faces. The top edge reads, "The Voice of the People....
Prison Conference: The Struggle Inside East Bay Media c. 1971 Poster has dark black and gray photograph in the center of men raising their fists in the air. The poster has red and black lettering. It reads overall, "Prison Conference/ The Struggle Inisde/...	Better Living Thru [through] Chemistry American Newsrepeat Company ~ publisher, Edmund Shea ~ photographer 1967 Poster has a photograph of a woman standing, smiling with open arms. Behind her stand two men and one woman. They are all standing on a busy San Francisco street.There is a truck on the right side...
Nothing will defeat the spirit of this land East Bay Media c. 1971 Poster has an image of male figure with large pointed hat behind two oxen with a double yoke. The image is in a dark turqouise color. Below the image are four wavy stripes of color: dark...	Support the Men Who Want to Stop Their Ship Doug Lawler, East Bay Media c. 1971 Poster has red text: "Support the Men / Who Want to Stop / Their Ship". Below this text the poster has a large red circle and the black silhouette of an aircraft carrier. The bottom of...
The Machine Has a Flaw: Sabatoge Doug Lawler, East Bay Media, Harold Luckey c. 1971 The top of the poster has the text: "The Machine Has A Flaw" in red. Below is a drawing of interlocking gears or cogs of varying size. The gears are blue and contain black text of...	I'd rather be a forest than a street Earthware Design Cooperative ~ workshop 1989 Poster has an outline of South America with red, yellow, and green areas that represent areas of rain forest. The left side has a legend with color coded areas of rain forest. Red represents 1955...
Free Speech Movement Earl Newman ~ artist c. 1965 Poster has a black background in the center with a white bar above. The white bar has "Free Speech Movement" printed in black. In the lower right is a drawing of the head of man horizontally....	Muerto Harvey Milk {Harvey Milk dead] Come! Unity Press ~ printer, E. Turner ~ artist 1979 Small poster with a brown background, white text, and red outlined ax. In the center of the ax is a fist. The poster reads, "Muerto Harvey Milk Estaba fuera y afuera como homosexual no lopdian...
Women Strike for Peace Earl Newman ~ artist 1963 Poster has a drawing of a large female figure holding in her arms a young girl in white, a young boy, and an infant. Below the poster has the text: "W.S.P. / Women Strike For Peace". The...	Bourgeoisie Artists Doug Minkler ~ artist 1976 Small poster with a black and white drawing in the center. The drawing depicts two large figures in the center and two smaller figures on each side. The figure on the left has his hand on the...
First Annual Silk Screen Workers Union Hall Show Doug Minkler ~ artist, Malaquias Montoya ~ printer circa 1982 Poster has brown background of a man with a hard hat using machinery. Above the man in red is "First Annual Silk Screen Workers Union Hall Show."	The Philippines National Democratic Front Doug Minkler ~ artist 1980 Top edge of poster paper has spiral note book edge. The poster has two images. The top is of several people standing in front of huts with green palm trees and a red background of mountains. The...
Equal Pay For Comparable Work Doug Minkler ~ artist c.1980 Poster has a drawing of a woman's head in profile. She is wearing safety glasses and a red, pink and black shirt. The background behind her is blue. Below the drawing is "Equal Pay For Comparable...	(Uncle Sam spoof) Doug Minkler ~ artist 1980 Poster is in shades of brown, red and orange and has a cartoon image of Uncle Sam holding binoculars with a mouse trap stuck on his nose. The mouse trap has Iran written on it in black. Around...