Qingzhu weida lingxiu Mao zhuxi guanghui de 'wu qi zhishi' fabiao wu zhounian ("Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Great Leader Chairman Mao's 'May Seventh Directive'").: Zhanlan tupian ("Photos for Exhibition").

Shanghai; Zhongguo renmin jiefangjun Shanghai jingbei qu,, 1971. The only traceable complete copy Sole edition, first printing, rare complete set, of this portfolio celebrating the political, economic, and cultural role of the People's Liberation Army in the Cultural Revolution, issued to Shanghai cadres responsible for creating pop-up propaganda exhibitions. Institutionally, we have traced only the incomplete copy in the Tate's Martin Parr Collection. The 'May Seventh Directive' is the name given to a letter sent by Mao to Marshal Lin Biao in 1966 calling for the army to become an ideological bastion of the unfolding Cultural Revolution. By 1971, the directive had become a hallowed statement of the movement's guiding principles, as well as the inspiration for the May Seventh Cadre Schools, where party members who had politically erred could find redemption through a daily diet of manual labour and the study of Mao's writings. Sets of this portfolio were used in community spaces, schools, and workplaces to display the ethos of the directive. The posters are divided into four sections, two of which invoke the spirit of Daqing and Dazhai, the period's most important economic models: "Political Strides Forward - Mao Zedong Thought Nurtures and Renews"; "Study Dazhai - Triumph Over Nature with an Iron Will"; "Study Daqing - Make Revolution Through Self-Reliance"; and "Power in Unity - the Army and the People Stand Shoulder to Shoulder to Form a New Great Wall". Landscape quarto. 80 posters, each 222 x 228 mm, loose as issued with tissue guard, housed in original folding red cloth portfolio with red string ties, front panel lettered in gilt. With 71 plates (20 colour) after propaganda photographs, gilt facsimile of Mao's calligraphy, 8 decorative posters of text variously in red, purple, white, and gilt, captions printed in red. Posters bright, small closed tears at upper corners of title leaf, old paper repairs on verso, occasional cockling and creasing, several small tidemarks and light toning at edges, upper margin of second poster horizontally creased. A very good set indeed in the well-preserved case with gilt bright, light rubbing, and a little soiling, especially to base.