Feng Keli’s “Old Photos” | Sixth Tone
Courtesy of “Old Photos”
For 22 years, Feng Keli edited Old Photos, a series of Chinese photography books. Sixth Tone published several excerpts this past Spring. Each of the articles presents a curated group of photographs along with a deep reading of the photos. Feng analyzes their technical aspects, composition, and historical context. He has an eye for photographs that break with the customs or traditions of the day. For some images, like the one of sociologist Pan Guangdan and Mao Zedong taken in 1951, Feng can only guess what was happening when the photograph was made. Others, like an image of CCP soldiers sitting together on the floor, were sent to Feng with letters explaining the images.
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For 22 years, Feng Keli edited Old Photos, a series of Chinese photography books. Sixth Tone published several excerpts this past Spring. Each of the articles presents a curated group of photographs along with a deep reading of the photos. Feng analyzes their technical aspects, composition, and historical context. He has an eye for photographs that break with the customs or traditions of the day. For some images, like the one of sociologist Pan Guangdan and Mao Zedong taken in 1951, Feng can only guess what was happening when the photograph was made. Others, like an image of CCP soldiers sitting together on the floor, were sent to Feng with letters explaining the images.