Vu Nang An - the one who captured historical images at the Geneva Conference
WVR - The entire Geneva Conference and other sideline activities of the Delegation of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam were captured and compiled into an invaluable album by photographer Vu Nang An.
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| Deputy Prime Minister Pham Van Dong meeting journalists at the Delegation’s working Headquarters. (Source: Ho Chi Minh Museum) |
The important photo album is currently being preserved in the warehouse of the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Encased in white cloth with brown and red striped patterns, measuring 26 x 36 cm, the album remains intact over the years and is carefully cherished and stored by the museum staff.
The serendipity of a photographer
Photographer Vu Nang An was born in 1916 in the city of Nam Dinh. He had learnt and worked as a photographer in Sai Gon before moving North. At the time of the August Revolution, he was working for a photo studio on Dien Bien Phu Street, Ha Noi.
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| Photographer Vu Nang An. |
Precisely on August 19, amidst the atmosphere of our nation’s fervent struggle of the General Uprising, he immortalized a scene of utmost historical significances, capturing the sacred moment when our people marched into the lair of the French colonialists. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of his revolutionary journey.
Following this event, Vu Nang An was assigned to take photos of Uncle Ho and the Provisional Government on the day of the delivery of the Declaration of Independece on September 02, 1945. As the nationwide resistance erupted, he was deployed to Viet Bac.
Since then, he gave birth to numerous photographic works of historical values and high artistic merit, documenting the long journey of resistance of our nation. This includes the famous photo “Uncle Ho at the Dong Khe Front in 1950”
It is the image of Uncle Ho sitting atop a high point, commanding the Border Offensive, clad in a soldier’s uniform with his gaze fixed into the distance towards the Dong Khe stronghold.
At the end of March 1954, the delegation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, led by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Van Dong traveled to China before heading to the Soviet Union to prepare documents for participation in the Geneva Conference.
At that time, Vu Nang An, while studying at the Soviet Union, was given the honor to become the accompanying photographer for the Delegation. As if fated, he continued to be a witness of another historical milestone.
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| The first two pages in photographer Vu Nang An’s album. |
Reliving every historical moment
The entire album, captured by photographer Vu Nang An at the Geneva Conference, contains 103 photos of various sizes (ranging from the smallest size: 6 x 6 cm to the largest size: 18 x 24 cm).
The black and white photos with beautiful angles and framings, vividly depicted the vibrant activities with no shortage of tension and determination in the decisive moments of history.
Especially, the album opens with a panoramic photo of the exterior of the conference hall - where the Geneva Conference took place. The second picture is a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh taken in 1950 in Viet Bac. The picture was brought along by our delegation to hang in the office, reception room and to use as a souvenir for international friends attending the conference.
Next are the photos organized in chronological order of the conference, reflecting all the activities of our delegation from the corner of the conference hall. The album captured all moments from the opening session to the closing session on the afternoon of July 21, 1954, with the full participation of all delegations.
Particularly noteworthy is the photo taken on the morning of July 21, 1954 showing Deputy Minister of National Defense, Ta Quang Buu, representing the General Staff of the Viet Nam people’s army and Major General Henri Delteil representing the Commander-in-Chief of the French Army in Indochina, signing the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Viet Nam and Laos.
On the same day, the lens of Vu Nang An also captured the moment Ta Quang Buu and Nhiek Tioulong, the representative of the Government of Khmer, inking the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Cambodia.
Throughout the whole conference, photographer Vu Nang An also encapsulated the vibrant activities of our delegation such as private meetings with the leaders of other countries at our residence, receiving other delegations, French, Algerian and Swiss intellectuals and scholars and organizing press conferences. Through the lens of Vu Van Nang, one could always see the camaraderie and openness among the participants.
Furthermore, the couple last pages of the album showcase the images of our delegation departing Switzerland to visit Germany, the Soviet Union and China. Among the documented activities are the welcome ceremony hosted by the German Government for Deputy Prime Minister Pham Van Dong with high-level protocol and a guard of honor at the Berlin airport, Germany on July 24, 1954 and the delegation’s visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow on July 28, 1954. The album also records the reception hosted by Premier Zhou Enlai and leaders of the People’s Republic of China to celebrate the success of the Vietnamese delegation as well as the farewell ceremony at Beijing Railway Station on the evening of August 04.
The album compiled by photographer Vu Nang An is not only a significant historical source but also stands as one of the valuable journalistic works of Vietnamese revolutionary press.
Known for his reserved demeanor and diligent work ethic, within the sphere of photographic artistry, photographer Vu Nang An is revered as a talented artist, always capturing the rare moments of both personalities and events.
| Photographer Vu Nang An (1916-2004), renowned for his photo “Uncle Ho at the Dong Khe Front in 1950”, which was honored with the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Photography in the 1st round in 1996 by the State. In addition to his photography career, Vu Nang An is also remembered by colleagues as an exemplary film industry manager. From 1964 to 1969, he served as the Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Feature Film Studio. From 1969 to 1972, he held the position of Director of the Film Production Technical Workshop, and subsequently served as the Director of the Vietnam Feature Film Studio from 1972 to 1979. |
