On Thursday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St., author and curator of Red-Color News Soldier, Robert Pledge, presents an account of China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution showcasing the photography of Li Zhensheng.

Capturing the cruelty and chaos of the period from 1966–1976, Zhensheng, a photographer with a Communist-controlled newspaper, took photos depicting public humiliations, street battles, executions, and the Cult of Mao, then hid them under the floorboards of his home.

The prints are the basis for a book as well as the exhibit on display at Central Library until October 31, 2010. The exhibit is on loan from Contact Press Images, New York.

Robert Pledge was born in London and grew up in Paris. Today he commutes between Paris and New York and is a frequent visitor to China. A journalist turned entrepreneur, he has managed the international independent picture agency, Contact Press Images, since he co-founded it in 1976. He has curated major photographic exhibitions throughout the world and is the author of several books.