Portrait of China, Record of the Times

A collection of nearly 100 images of ordinary Chinese people taken by renowned photographer Xiao Zhuang, the book Portraits 1950s-1980s reflects changes in philosophy, social customs and lifestyles of the people since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It is a record of the times and a precious historical file of the nation.

Most of the pictures were taken in China’s southeastern province of Jiangsu across various historical stages since the founding of New China, including those featuring agricultural cooperatives, people’s communes, zhiqing (educated youth) sent to the countryside for “re-education” as well as the country’s reform and opening up. In each stage of history, the photographer snapped many images of ordinary people working in different positions, including magnificent group photos and portraits with great characteristics of the times.

In the preface to the book written by Sun Kai, a member of the Theoretical Research Committee of China Photographers Association, he noted that as a professional photojournalist, Xiao Zhuang sought news photos according to the standards of news reporting. Because of her diligence, even today people can still clearly feel the distinct flavors of the times and the strong social atmosphere of certain historical periods when viewing the images. News is a draft of history. These images of ordinary people and daily life document the times and preserve the memories of the nation, highlighting the historical value of old news photos.
Xiao Zhuang was born in Zhejiang Province in 1933. One of the first female photographers in New China, she started her career in 1950 and continued taking pictures for most of her life.

She served as a member of the 4th Council of China Photographers Association and vice chairperson of the 4th and 5th Council of the Photographers Association of the Photographers Association of Jiangsu Province, and continues as a consultant for the latter.