Propaganda...

Jeff and I visited the Shanghai Yang Pei Ming Propaganda Poster Art Museum a few weeks back.  We had read about it in one of the guide books and decided to give it a go.  To our surprise, it's in the basement of an apartment complex right next to ours...which is kind of strange.

The security guard at the front gate happily
gives you a map to determine which
peach colored building to go into...

This sign clued us in that we were at the right place.  The name in the
beginning paragraph is the official Chinese name.

The museum has hundreds of posters from 1910 to 1990, and it is utterly fascinating.  It includes government propaganda posters, as well as Shanghai Lady Calendars.

According to the website, www.shanghaipropagandaart.com, "these posters are how Mao and his group informed and restored the collective mind of the Chinese people."  

According to our visit (and not the website), these posters also show that China has long opposed the US imperialist and capitalist ways...some were quite damning to the American, British, and European people...

We purchased a book of the posters, and Jeff has scanned some in for your perusal.  Or, you can visit the website to get a full account of the posters on exhibit.  The book is called, "Chinese Propaganda Poster Catalogue 2011".

1952:  Build Modern Defense Under Chairman Mao's Leadership
for Peace in East and World - Xin Li Liang

1951:  Expose the US Paper Tiger, Children Play - Shang Shishan

1951:  People all Over World Firmly Support Peace - Yi Miao

1952:  Our Great Leader Chairman Mao and Stalin

1951:  Long Live Victory of Korean People's Army
and Chinese People's Army - Zhang Ding, Wu Guanghong

1953:  Future of our Motherland - Jing Xiuchen

1955:  It is People to Destroy the Bomb and
not the Bomb to Destroy People - Liu Rude

While I may not understand or necessarily agree with the messages of the posters, they are vibrant, colorful, and a great way to see history.  And, it's a great way to spend a couple of hours and a bit over $3.00.