(FRANKLIN, Stuart). Tiananmen Square. (London): (AJ Vines Limited), (1990).

(FRANKLIN, Stuart).
Tiananmen Square / Photographs by Stuart Franklin.
(London): (AJ Vines Limited), (1990).

Folio (418 × 320 mm), pp.[26] (one folding). 11 colour photographs. Introduction by Tony Vines; small area of abrasion to bottom edge of folding plate. Printed saddle-stapled wrappers, black and red with text in yellow; handling marks and creases, shallow surface scratches. An excellent copy.

First edition, a scarce promotional book produced by design consultancy firm AJ Vines and distributed to their clients. In May 1989 Magnum photographer Stuart Franklin was in Beijing on assignment for Time magazine. Whilst there he witnessed the escalating student-led demonstrations and their subsequent suppression by the PLA, which culminated in the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4th. Franklin’s photographs of the events are presented chronologically and include his famous photograph of a single protestor standing in front of a column of tanks the following day. This photograph was published all over the world and is now seen as being the defining image of the protests.

Scarce, only one copy located in OCLC: National Art Library / Victoria & Albert Museum.

Parr, M. and Wassinklundgren, The Chinese Photobook: From the 1900s to the Present pp.262-263; Magnum Photobook: The Catalogue Raisonné p.226