More Information
Author Xu Xiaobing / Hou Bo
Pages 216
Signed No
Publisher The People's Fine Arts Publishing House Foreign Languages Press
Publishing date 1978
Publishing place Beijing
Language English
Edition First edition
Binding Hardcover including dustjacket
Book condition Collectible; Very Good
Condition description some toning to slipcase; book and jacket as new
Cover condition Fine
Dimensions (cm hxb) 37x 31
"While Hitler had his own personal photographer in Heinrich Hoffmann, Mao Zedong had Xu Xiaobing and his wife, Hou Bo, who took the photographs in this book. She was Mao's official portrait photographer form 1950 until 1962, when she aroused the ire of the Chairman's fearsome wife, Jiang Jing, and was sent to a labour camp on the orders of this future member of the Gang of Four. Hou Bo was never credited as the author of these official portraits, nor received copyright. Thus, unlike Hoffmann, she did not become rich as a result of the fact that her photographs were published in their hundreds of millions, distributed and shown everywhere--especially during the Cultural Revolution--carried around by the Red Guards and prominently displayed in every Chinese Home. Like Hitler, and political leaders everywhere, Mao insisted on acting out his favorite roles for the camera-among them Mao the Prophet, Mao the Educator and Mao the Strategist. This was symptomatic of the almost unprecedented cult of personality that surrounded the Chinese leader, who seemed to have a creepy resistance to the normal signs of aging... Looking at some of the superb, iconic images in this fascinating book, which was published in many languages, it seems incredible that the official reason for Bo's fall from grace was that allegation that she had never taken a good photograph of the Chairman."--Parr & Badger

Archive

Mao Tsetung: A Selection of Photographs

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First edition, complete with the acetate JACKET AND SLIPCASE. Hou Bo's 'superb, iconic images in this fascinating book' were often reproduced, but she fell out of fav our with Mao's wife Jiang Jing, ended up in a labour camp and was nev er credited nor receiv ed copy right for these photographs. Published in v arious languages, it has been suggested that the book no longer fit the political agenda and was suppressed after publication. The Photobook, v ol. I, p.1 85
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