The Sounds and Words of Mao’s Last Revolution: An Analysis of the Robert Elegant Collection

Studies of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) have largely focused on the sequence of events revolving around the cult of Mao and factional struggles dictated by capital or provincial headquarters. Scholars have also relied on a handful of red classics and model plays to explore the culture politics and campaign effect on everyday life. In contrast, this project reorients the study of Mao’s last revolution by investigating it as a sonic experience and informational operation. We will utilize materials from the Robert S. Elegant Collection at Washington University, which is one of the largest personal archives of audio recordings of Mao’s China, as well as the comprehensive work files from Western journalists covering the Cultural Revolution era. By examining the sounds and words of the Cultural Revolution, this project draws our attention to a host of issues that hold historical significance and contemporary relevance, including the technology of revolution, the sensory and emotional aspects of political campaigns, and information literacy and knowledge production in the Cold War.

Panel discussion:

• Zhao Ma, Washington University
• Yu Wang, Cornell University
• Jie Li, Harvard University
• Yiching Wu, University of Toronto
• Tobie Meyer-Fong, Johns Hopkins University