The Chinese Photobook exhibit The Photographers’ Gallery — in pictures

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  Folio from Photographic Overview of the Manchukuo Empire (Hsinking, China and Osaka, Japan: Manchukuo Educational Materials Publishing Company, 1937). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Interior selection from Gli impressioni di Manciu-cuo (Impressions of Manchukuo), documenting the visit of an Italian delegation sent courtesy Benito Mussolini. (Fengtian, China: Manchukuo Imperial Government, ca 1938). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Cover from China Traffic Police (Shanghai: Traffic Administration Bureau, Public Security Ministry and Shanghai Joint Publishing Company, 1989), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  A double page from Chairman Mao Is the Red Sun in Our Hearts. Removed from the book is Lin Biao, once Mao’s designated successor. But Biao fell from favour after an alleged coup attempt on Mao and was removed, often crudely, by state censors from these propaganda books (Beijing: People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, 1967), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Interior selection from The Chinese by Liu Zheng (Beijing: Dragon Work Chinese Photo, 2000), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Interior selection from Selected Stage Photographs from Revolutionary Model Operas (Beijing: China Photographic Publishing House, 1976), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Sample cover and inside pages from The Living China: A Pictorial Record (Shanghai: Liang You Publishing Co, 1930), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Cover from The Great Hall of People (Beijing: People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, 1959), from The Chinese Photobook (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

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  Cover and interior selection from Impressions of Chairman Mao: Recent Photographs of the Great Leader of the Chinese People Chairman Mao, one of the earliest known collections of images of Mao. (Political Department of the Shanxi-Chaha’er-HebeiMilitary Region, 1945). Courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

China has a rich history of publishing photo books spanning 150 years. The colonial powers, Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution, all produced them as expressions of propaganda, power and resistance. This exhibition (and accompanying book) includes possibly the first photo book dedicated to Chairman Mao's personality cult. The Chinese Photobook runs at The Photographers' Gallery until July 5. Visit www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk