Western female anatomy in the 1930s

Author: Shan Zhengping (Authored), Zhong Nianren (Edited)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: What people are willing to remember and cherish, but often easily forget or become vague, is the past history. If people want to navigate a small boat through the long river of history, they need a continuous source of living water. This source of living water is the rich and diverse types of documents. China has been a civilization that has always attached great importance to documents since ancient times. Although the "He Tu Luo Shu" is heavily legendary, it is the earliest general classification of documents, indicating that documents mainly include text and pictures. Without documents or insufficient documents, it is very difficult to explain history. Even Confucius, the revered sage for over two thousand years, would sigh in helplessness. In the "Lunyu · Ba Yi" chapter, it records the following passage: "I can speak of the Xia rites, but there is insufficient evidence. I can speak of the Yin rites, but Song is insufficiently documented. It is due to insufficient documents that I cannot verify them. If there were enough, I could verify them." Since the Qin and Han dynasties, each dynasty, especially during the early stages of seizing power or in the process of winning the empire, attached great importance to collecting documents, which were then broadly referred to as "tu ji," including pictures and written records. Those who destroyed documents would inevitably face severe condemnation, known as "misfortune." Thus, preserving documents has become an excellent cultural tradition in China. In recent years, as people have gradually corrected their attitude toward traditional culture, valuing the collection, organization, and promotion of historical documents, as well as the publication of historical archives and old photographs, has become a trend. In particular, the search for old photographs has been highly valued. As a result, scholars in the fields of literature, publishing, and collecting have actively unearthed, organized, elaborated, and published them to delight readers.
Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House, in response to social demand, organized efforts to collect a substantial number of materials from museums, libraries, and collectors, compiling them into ten thematic series and combining them into a set of books named "Old Documents Series" based on their primary function. The series is structured around four pillars: celebrities, nostalgia, tradition, and collecting. Under these pillars are ten volumes: "Photographs of Modern Figures," "Women of the 1930s," "Swimsuit Human Figures of the 1930s," "Western Female Bodies of the 1930s," "Shanghai Skyscrapers and Folk Customs of the 1930s," "Scenic Spots Along the Yangtze River in the 1930s," "Photographs of Centennial Bridges Around the World," "Illustrations from the Soviet magazine 'Zvezda'," "Ming Dynasty Carved Images of a Hundred Beauties Through the Ages," and "Ming Dynasty Carved Images of Emperors and Sages Through the Ages." In addition to the old carvings from the Ming Dynasty, the main time frame is from the early to mid-20th century, with the 1930s being the most represented. At that time, China was in an upward phase of modern and contemporary historical development, with surging cultural trends and widespread national resistance to invasion. Coastal cities were trending toward becoming metropolises, leaving behind a wealth of photographs and illustrations. The social and historical conditions are vividly presented through these visuals. The value of compiling and publishing this "Old Documents Series" lies in this.
The publication of the "Old Documents Series" can serve as a nostalgic reminder for the elderly who experienced those social conditions, allowing them to reflect on the past and feel even greater joy when comparing it to the present. For the younger generation, it not only satisfies their curiosity about historical events but also provides inspiration and motivation for progress. The historical information provided by these photographs and illustrations not only offers valuable reference materials for researching and exploring the social dynamics and landscapes of the early 20th century in China but also offers vivid visual experiences, especially for those engaged in (plastic arts), providing important material for artistic creation. The significance of this work lies in this.
The compilation of the "Old Documents Series" adopts a format with both text and images, featuring fluent and readable arguments, as well as relatively complete illustrations for readers to appreciate, deepening their understanding of the text. The combination of text and images is a key feature of this series. The compilation of this series is only the first step by the organizers—Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House. If it is well-received by society and achieves the desired effect, then the second and third sets of similar series will be published in a timely manner.
I had the privilege of reading the preliminary draft of this series and, from the perspectives of preserving materials, passing them down to future generations, providing references, and offering valuable insights, I believe it will be a series with dual benefits. Therefore, at the request of Ms. Dai Jianhong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the publishing house, I have written this preface, wishing the publication of this series success.