Snow, Edgar, 1905-1972
Dates
- Existence: 1905 - 1972
Biography
Edgar Snow (1905-1972) was a journalist and foreign correspondent in China.
Edgar Snow was born on July 10, 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri. Snow moved to China as a correspondent for the Consolidated Press Association. Edgar met Helen Foster Snow when she came to China. The two were married on December 25, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan. They moved to Peking, where Edgar taught at Yanjing University. At the University, Edgar and Helen sympathized with the students protesting the government’s allowance of Japanese invasion. The two helped organize movements like the December 9th movement of 1935, and provided press coverage of events censored by Chinese papers.
In June of 1936 Edgar left Peking for Xian, and into the communist camp as the first foreign journalist in that territory. He composed the first biographical account of Mao during this time. Mao asked Ed to set peace terms between the Nationalists and the Chinese Government.
An interview with Mao published in Life magazine in 1936 gained a great amount of attention. Edgar Snow became the editor to his new magazine Democracy. Red Star Over China, Edgar’s book on his time with the communists was published in 1938. Edgar Snow died on February 15, 1972 in Eysins Switzerland.
Citation:
Helen Foster Snow: An American Woman in Revolutionary China, 2006: p. 32 (b. July 19, 1905; Kansas City, Missouri; Shanghai correspondent for Consolidated Press Association); p. 39 (m. Helen Foster Snow 1933); p. 42 (m. Dec. 25, Tokyo); p. 41 (honeymoon in Formosa, the Philippines, Borneo, the Dutch Indies, and Bali); p. 45 (move to Peking); p. 49 (move to Manchuria to investigate, 1933); p. 50 (job teaching at Yanjing University); p. 55 (helped plan December 1935 movements); p. 58 (moved to more neutral area; p. 62 (press coverage of events censored by Chinese papers); p. 64 (December 16th movement); p. 67 (June 1936 Xian then Baoan to communist camp); p. 70 (worked with artists); p. 71 (short stories published to West); p. 73 (published Living china); p. 79 (October 1936, interview with Mao Zedong; published in Life, journal Democracy, editor); p. 87 (controversial exposure of communist ideas); p. 109 (Red Star Over China, 1938); p. 110 (long march reports; first foreign journalist in communist territory); p. 111 (left Peking June 1936, Xian; 92 day tour, Zhou Enlai); p. 113 (first biographical account of Mao; set terms for peace between CCP and GMD); p. 114 (return to Peking Oct. 1936, write book); p. 117 (Shanghai)FamilySearch, July 12, 2018 (d. February 15, 1972; Eysins, Switzerland)
Found in 39 Collections and/or Records:
Helen Foster Snow manuscripts published outside the United States, 1923-1980
Helen Foster Snow miscellaneous materials, 1726-2000
Contains miscellaneous documents, manuscripts, and papers relating to Edgar and Helen Foster Snow, mostly concerning their lives outside of their careers. Materials date from 1726-2000.
Helen Foster Snow miscellaneous papers, 1880-1997
Contains scrapbooks, awards, and memorial service materials. Also included are papers relating to Snow's story and movie contracts (notebooks, journals, maps, contracts, art, Chinese currency, correspondence, report cards, silks and woodcuts, Indusco materials, passports, war ration books, and postcards). Additionally, Snow's official 1934 transcript from the University of Utah prior to her departure to China. Materials date from 1880-1997.
Helen Foster Snow negatives, approximately 1875-1991
Helen Foster Snow pamphlets, 1928-1994
Contains pamphlets authored by Mao Zedong, as well as items published by China's Foreign Languages Press. Additional topically-arranged pamphlets are also included.
Helen Foster Snow papers on China, 1927-1997
Contains works written during Helen's nine years in Asia spent as a foreign correspondent, mostly covering events and people related to the Chinese Revolution. Materials include articles, essays and personal correspondence. Materials date from September 1931 through December 1940.
Helen Foster Snow papers on women's issues, approximately 1726-2000
Contains undated and untitled essays, material on Chinese and general women's issues, topical correspondence, and material relating to the Seneca Falls Convention.
Helen Foster Snow periodicals, 1933-1996
Contains magazines, journals, and other periodicals. Topics include tourism, history, foreign affairs and other subjects, all related to China. Dated 1933 to 1966.
Helen Foster Snow photograph documentation, 1973-1979
Contains documentation, mainly grouped together in binders or originally grouped in binders. Documentation includes letters to Tim Considine, copies of photographs he owns as well as photographs in the Helen Foster Snow papers, and lists of captions for Helen Foster Snow and Tim Considine's photographs. Helen went to China in 1978 with Tim Considine and a film crew to retrace her steps from X'ian to Yan'an. Dated 1973 to 1979.
Helen Foster Snow photographs, approximately 1853-2000
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 38
- Collection 1
- Subject
- China -- Politics and government -- 1912-1949 35
- Politics, Government, and Law 24
- Beijing (China) 23
- India 23
- Philippines 23
- Shanghai (China) 23
- Utah 23
- Xi'an Shi (China) 23
- Yan'an Shi (China) 23
- Communes (China) 13
- Drafts (Documents) 13
- Genealogy 13
- International Relations 13
- Letters 13
- Books 11
- Journalism 10
- Articles 8
- Literature 8
- Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 7
- Essays 7
- Book reviews 6
- Manuscripts 6
- Correspondence 4
- Notes 4
- Photographs 4
- Asia -- Photographs 3
- China -- Photographs 3
- Communism -- China -- History 3
- Connecticut -- Photographs 3
- Documents 3
- Poetry 3
- Research 3
- United States -- Photographs 3
- Civic Activism 2
- Interviews 2
- Negatives 2
- Papers (Documents) 2
- Personal papers 2
- Photojournalism 2
- Publications 2
- Social Life and Customs 2
- Vacations 2
- Acetate negatives 1
- Artifacts 1
- Audiocassettes 1
- Autobiographies 1
- Book covers 1
- China 1
- Chinese language 1
- Clothing 1
- Communism 1
- Contracts 1
- Documentary films 1
- Fiction 1
- Folklore 1
- Glass negatives 1
- Lists 1
- Paintings 1
- Periodicals 1
- Photocopies 1
- Seneca Falls (N.Y.) 1
- Slides (Photography) 1
- Speeches, addresses, etc. 1
- Translations 1
- Videocassettes 1 + ∧ less