Hou Bo is beside the great man.

London Photographers Gallery, which enjoys a high reputation in the photography field, decided to hold a solo photography exhibition entitled "The Great Man Mao Zedong-Hou Bo" on April 7th, 2004.

The man in front of her camera is so famous. However, no one knew her for a long time. Her name is not allowed to appear in the photo. Great men have cast a huge shadow on her for a long time, making her the most famous unknown photographer in China in the 20th century. Until one day in the 2 1 century, she suddenly came out from behind the camera and appeared in public view with her own photos.

So, people were surprised but somewhat disappointed to find that this mysterious "Zhongnanhai photographer" turned out to be a thin, gentle and filial woman. It is this woman named Hou Bo who created Mao Zedong with the lens. Because of her historic images, London Photographers Gallery, which enjoys a high reputation in the world of photography, decided to hold a solo photography exhibition entitled "Mao Zedong-Hou Bo, the Great Man" on April 7th to pay tribute to the 80-year-old photographer.

This exhibition lasts for a month. Whether Mao Zedong is alive or dead, such a special exhibition is rare in the western world. More than 10 mainstream western media will report this and interview Hou Bo.

Hou Bo, who is short and stocky, has little say in photography. He never plays with fancy skills. She just went deep into the subject's heart with religious piety and gentle and romantic feelings. Hou Bo always uses the German Lorelei camera, which is as simple, loyal and accurate as her people.

Mao Zedong and the urchin is a little-known but most touching work of Hou Bo. Mao Zedong in the image has just swam ashore from Xiangjiang River, and his naked legs are covered with mud from Xiangjiang River. A striped towel bathrobe was loosely wrapped around his chubby body. Mao Zedong smoked comfortably, like a dignified grandfather who occasionally smiled in front of his children and grandchildren, and was amused by the same urchin.

At this time, the female photographer who pressed the shutter was covered in dirt. Mao Zedong paddled happily in the water, while Hou Bo, the landlubber, swam to the shore while retreating to capture the camera. As a result, the woman who only looked at the frame fell into the cesspit behind her. When someone fished her out of the cesspit, Mao Zedong had already landed. Hou Bo didn't have time to clean, so he followed Mao Zedong into a field yard. "People around you saw a strange fat man smoking and went to see him. The child is also in the middle. I don't care too much, I just feel that I can't miss interesting scenes. " -recalling the scene at that time, Hou Bo, who was in his eighties, was somewhat ashamed.

When Hou Bo took this photo in the spring of 1958, she had actually reached another realm of her personal creation. This photo is very meaningful. It is the masterpiece of the leader who is regarded as God in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people who have returned to earth. Unfortunately, this photo has been sleeping in a gloomy database for almost 30 years. Because the public image of a leader must be serious, profound and well dressed.

1924 was born in Hou Bo, a farmer in Xia County, Shaanxi Province, and was originally named Yan Feng. My father worked in Taiyuan coal mine and led a strike. He was killed on his way home. After Yan Feng 14 years old arrived in Yan 'an, what he did was so secret that even his family could not tell him. For the sake of secrecy, the superior changed her name to Hou Bo. Beside the Yanhe River, the towering pagoda was reflected, and she met her later partner Xu. Xu, from Shanghai, studied film and photography with the first generation of film directors in China. He passed on his photography skills to Hou Bo. This technology from the west finally brought the girls from the eastern countryside into the life of national leaders.

To a great extent, Hou Bo lived for Mao Zedong all his life. She is his only personal photographer. He discussed state affairs with senior officials, and she wanted to attend; He went to the countryside and swam in the Yangtze River, and she wanted to follow. 1956 In late May, Mao Zedong, who was attending a meeting in Guangzhou, suddenly proposed to go swimming in the Yangtze River in Wuhan. Wang, then secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, tried his best to stop it, saying that the water was rushing and there were water beasts. Hou Bo said: "Mao Zedong has a clear idea, and no one can convince him." 1956 May 3 1 At about 2 pm, Mao Zedong got into the water at the foot of Snake Mountain and the pier of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, and swam for more than two hours at a stretch, with a distance of more than 30 kilometers. At that time, there was a gossip about Mao Zedong's illness. This photo of Chairman Mao's trip down the Yangtze River put 62-year-old Mao Zedong into an immortal position overnight.

When you travel in Mao Zedong, you will have many companions. Wherever you go, you will be crowding round. The photographer himself must be ignored. Therefore, Hou Bo had to drill around, looking for an angle among many vigilant guards and cheering crowds. Awkward things happen from time to time. In 1950s, Mao Zedong watched the cotton harvest in rural Henan. Cotton farmers and local officials formed several human walls to completely isolate Mao Zedong from Hou Bo. Finally, when she saw the cotton hill, she stepped on the cotton pile and climbed up. After going up, she fooled and got stuck in the cotton pile. Mao Zedong was talking to a cotton farmer when he suddenly heard Hou Bo scream and became very happy. He told the people around him that Hou Bo had fallen and went to pull her up.

With ordinary people's sensitivity, Hou Bo's understanding of Mao Zedong's subtle emotional changes is almost nuanced. If he doesn't have a good rest at night, he looks angry. At this time, Hou Bo dare not lift the camera. "If you don't take out your camera, the chairman will be angry with me."

But sometimes you don't know why he is angry with you. Hou Bo has always wanted to take a picture of Mao Zedong studying.

On one occasion, Mao Zedong's guard Li Yinqiao told Hou Bo that the old man had a good rest and was reading in his study. When Hou Bo was carrying photographic equipment, he heard Mao Zedong patting the table and shouting to a general, "Next time, don't come to see me." Don't ask around, thought Hou Bo. Let's go. Before she turned and slipped away, Mao Zedong shouted at her, "What, can't you see I have guests?"

Among the thousands of photos she took for Mao Zedong, the world-famous founding ceremony is Hou Bo's favorite work. Strictly speaking, this photo is not her masterpiece in terms of composition or lighting effect, but it is the most political one.

In 2003, at the International Photography Festival in arles, France, a documentary about Hou Bo was shown by France TV 5. When Hou Bo came to the stage trembling, more than 1000 photographers from all over the world stood up and applauded 10 minute, which made her simple and historical photos more plain and unobtrusive. She is one of the two most famous photographers in China. As a photographer, Hou Bo's name is always associated with Mao Zedong.