Items of the Week: Our Little Red Books

From the first impression of Mao's Little Red Book

Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976.

Mao zhu xi yu lu.

[Beijing] : Zhongguo ren min jie fang jun, [1964]

Call number: DS778 .M3 *

First edition. Illustrations are a portrait of Mao and a facsimile of calligraphy by Lin Biao. Clark Library copy 1: first issue of first edition; bound in tan paper wrapper, printed in red and black. Copy 2: second issue of first edition; bound in red vinyl, stamped in blind. Both copies with Lin Biao’s endorsement leaf in earliest state with misprint in second character. Gift of Curtis Dombek, 2010.

From the first impression

Initiated by our former Head Librarian, Bruce Whiteman, but delivered after his departure, are these gifts of the first and second impressions of the first edition of Mao zhu xi yu lu (Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book).

From the first impression

Both copies are extremely rare as they retain the printed endorsement leaf (in the earliest state with misprint in second character) of Lin Biao, head of National Defense until 1971. After his death, Mao ordered that this particular leaf be either torn out or defaced in all copies as a sign of loyalty to the party.  Our good friend, Curtis Dombek, is scouring China for extant copies and has generously given the Clark two of them.

From the second impression

Why the Clark? They seem out of scope, but consider what our collection includes:  works on feminism, sex and gender, the Cartwright and Harmsworth collections of Protestant literature, not to mention Oscar Wilde, Aretino, and Isaac Newton. Revolution comes in many guises.

From the second impression

From the second impression

From the second impression

From the second impression

From the first impression

From the first impression

From the first impression

From the first impression

From the first impression

Item of the Week: Album of caricatures and drawings

The Clark acquired today’s item of the week in 1996, but it’s been sitting in our manuscript backlog since then.  Completely charming and pretty funny, this album of over 500 caricatures and drawings was executed in the late 18th century by an amateur artist probably from the Cheshire area.

A pencil caption at the top of this page (not visible in this image) reads "A Frenchwoman"

Some of the drawings in this album are based on contemporary works by artists such as Thomas Rowlandson and John Collier, while other drawings are possibly originals.

In addition to caricatures, drawings (executed in both pen and ink and in pencil) include landscapes, city scenes, buildings, animals and decorative motifs.

Album of caricatures and drawings, MS.1996.002. William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Item of the Week: New Acquisitions!

A new show at the Clark opens tomorrow, featuring highlights from last year’s new purchases! Curated by our head librarian emeritus, Bruce Whiteman, before his departure in August, the show brings together new acquisitions from all of the Clark’s varied collecting areas.

Images below show only a small selection of the works now on display.  We will be hosting a reception for this exhibition in March or April, but if you would like to see it before then, call us at 323-731-8529 and make an appointment!

James Beeverell. Les Délices de la Grande Bretagne, & de l’Irlande. Leiden, 1707.

Paul Landacre. “Experiment.” 1932 or 1933.

Russell Maret. Æthelwold, etc. New York, 2009.

Matt Phillips. All That Jazz. Berkeley, 2008.

Photographs by Jennifer Bastian.