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Helen Foster Snow artifacts, approximately 1850, approximately 1925-1991

 Series
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 7

Scope and Contents

Contains artifacts from Helen Foster Snow's family and career, including an ancestral coverlet, items from Chinese cooperatives, clothing worn or obtained while in China, certificates, paintings of Helen, and medals. Also contains a list of artifacts and accompanying descriptions provided by Helen Foster Snow. Dated approximately 1850, and approximately 1925 to 1991.

Dates

  • approximately 1850
  • approximately 1925-1991

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials in English and Chinese.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from the Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Helen Foster Snow was born on September 21, 1907 in Cedar City, Utah. She attended West High School. After graduating, she attended the University of Utah. She took the civil service exam, gained a position in China, and moved to Shanghai in August 1931. After arriving in China Helen met Edgar Snow, a reporter also from the U.S. The two were married on December 25, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan. The couple moved to Peking where Helen Foster Snow attended and Edgar taught at Yanjing University. From there they published information regarding the Manchurian incident. Helen Foster and Edgar Snow sympathized with the students who protested the government and its complacency toward Japanese invasion. They helped plan the December movements, and covered events censored in Chinese papers.

Helen published an interview with Zhang Xueliang, a general, who expressed support for communists, contradicting Chiang Kai-shek. In 1937 Edgar and Helen published the magazine Democracy. She worked on the editorial board to editor, and then the editor while Edgar wrote Red Star over China.

Snow entered the communist camp in April 1937, where she interviewed leaders, women, and children of the camp. She would publish her findings in her book Inside Red China in 1938. Helen later toured the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives and wrote to raise support of the initiatives. Helen returned to the United States, living in Madison, Connecticut and travelling the world. Helen died on January 11, 1997.

Extent

10 oversize boxes

4 folders

2 boxes

2 oversize folders