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[PHOTO PROPAGANDA] R.I. Rabochaia illiustratsiia vsego mira [i.e. Working Illustration of the Entire World] #1 for 1929

Moscow: Rabochaia Moskva, 1929. Item #1869

8 pp.: ill. 47x32,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Very good. Slightly rubbed, small hole on spine, small tears of outer edge of pages.

The periodical emerged in 1927 as “Foto-gazeta” [Photographic Newspaper]. In 1929-1930, it was published as “Rabochaia illiustratsiia”. Being printed irregularly, it ceased publication after the 3rd issue of 1930.
In this thin magazine, photographs took up the most space as a visual argument of propaganda and an intelligible representation of the chronicle. The edition is profusely filled with mezzotint pictures of various sizes and forms which are artistically arranged on each page. Near them, rather small captions are printed.
An anonymous correspondent from the USA contributed with two photos of “resolving the racial problem”. One of them shows a crowd of Black people going to water during a mass baptism ceremony. Another one features a hanging and burning corpse of a Black man surrounded by White Americans.
The front cover picture and a half of p.3 is devoted to a Moscow propaganda ski marathon “Sky Run”. Participants moved between rural settlements where they gave anti-religious lectures and demonstrations carrying ideological posters. The event was held during the Christmass period and was a part of the state anti-religious campaign.
A page “Across the USSR” visually propagates new constructions, literacy courses, a natural history excursion of peasants in the Darwin Museum, election rally in an Uzbek village. In the last photo, some women are standing in a front line, totally covered with paranja.
A page “Abroad” reveals injustice, hypocrisy and wars caused by capitalists. One of the other pages is entirely dedicated to the Afghan Civil War (1928-1929). The issue contains lots of advertisements for imported cosmetics, Soviet experimental medicine, Soviet contemporary magazines.

Worldcat shows copies of the issue located in Princeton, Stanford, North Carolina Universities.

Status: On Hold