A reproduction of one of the gallery’s most iconic pieces, the 1967 ‘Make Love, Not War’ lithograph by Weisser. 

The Oakland Museum of California has a really cool exhibition on the Internet right now looking at the history of progressive political art in America. Originally part of the personal collection of Free Speech Movement activist Michael Rossman, the exhibit consists of more than 1,000 posters of a total of almost 25,000. The exhibit covers posters from events and awareness activities for causes as varied and vital as Native American rights, nuclear disarmament, international piece, labor rights, student rights, anti-capitalism… and the designs cover a ton of different styles and generations of activists. It’s a must for history junkies, anyone interested in art and design, anyone interested in social justice and politics, or any combination thereof.

As the introduction from the OMCA explains:

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.

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.

Check out ALL THE POSTERS in this big happy interactive gallery.

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