Lü Houmin

Lü Houmin (Simplified Chinese 吕厚民; 9 September 1928 – 9 March 2015) was a Chinese photographer who gained national and international recognition for taking official photographs of Chinese leaders, most notably Mao Zedong, from 1950 to 1964. Lü started out as a teacher, and later switched to photography. He was called Mao's private photographer because many of his photographs were different from the official ones, showing Mao in a more relaxed and personal manner.

Lü maintained a rather friendly and simple image of Mao Zedong throughout his life and the Cultural Revolution. He received many international photographic awards.

Lü, Xu Xiaobing and Hou Bo have been called the best photographers of Mao.

Early life

Lü Houmin was born on 9 September 1928, to a Han family in Yilan County, Heilongjiang. Houmin taught in an elementary school in March 1948, and then joined the Chinese Communist Party. Lü continued taking pictures from 1950 to 1964.

Positions held

Lü Houmin was allowed (by Mao) to travel to Cuba to receive an award for his photography and to attend the opening ceremony for the Film Show of World People against Imperialists. His death was also reported by the China Times (Taiwan). According to Beijing News, Lü's funeral was held on Sunday and was attended by Mao's grandson Mao Xinyu, and hundreds of photographers and artists. Mao had described Lü as "short and hardworking".

Recognition Award in Film Show of World People against Imperialists in Cuba, 1961. Silver medal in German International Photography Exhibition, 1961. Gold medal in Soviet Union International Photography Exhibition, 1961. World's Great Artists by New York Eastern and Western Artists Association, January 1997. Prize of honor in 24th congress of International Federation of Photographic Art, September 1997. Outstanding Contribution Award from International Federation of Photographic Art, November 1997.