The touching search for precious photos of the capital takeover day

The results of the search for precious photos of the capital takeover day in Hanoi families 20 years ago revealed many touching stories about the people in the photos and the photographers.

Flag-raising ceremony at the Flagpole yard on the afternoon of October 10, 1954, taken by Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy

In 2004, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the capital, the Hanoi People's Committee, the Vietnam Revolution Museum and the Vietnam Historical Science Association organized a special exhibition: The day of taking over the capital through the lens of Hanoi people.

This is the result of a hunt and collection of half-century-old photos hidden in family albums of Hanoi people, organized by the Vietnam Historical Science Association.

Two unexpected films open a touching search

Before this time, there were not many photos of the capital takeover event, only a few photos of the News Agency reporters following the troops marching to Hanoi and some photos taken from the film Vietnam on the Road to Victory by Soviet director Karmen, to fully understand the meaning of the collection.

Photographer Nguyen Huu Bao, along with Mr. Trinh Dinh Tien (who passed away in 2021), two reporters and photo collaborators of the magazine Xua Va Nay of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, were the ones who knocked on many doors in Hanoi to collect valuable photos of the day the capital was taken over through the lens of the people.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Bao - Photo: T.DIEU

Historian Duong Trung Quoc was the one who came up with the idea of searching for photo sources about this important event in Hanoi family albums.

Inspiration came to him when one day 20 years ago, he unexpectedly received two Kodak films sent by an old teacher from Hue . They were more than 70 photos of Mr. Than Trong Ninh.

At the historic moment of taking over the capital, Mr. Ninh was a student in Hanoi and took some memorable photos.

However, for 50 years they just lay still in the corner of the room.

Mr. Ninh did not know what to do with it, until the day he met historian Duong Trung Quoc to give him two films he recorded of Hanoi during those unforgettable days.

After receiving the film, Mr. Quoc assigned it to Mr. Nguyen Huu Bao for evaluation.

Mr. Bao, with his professional eyes, immediately realized that these were very valuable photos, with a very vivid story about the day of taking over the capital from many angles: from our troops advancing to the French troops withdrawing, people welcoming troops along the road, foreign reporters working on the day of the capital's liberation in the Hoan Kiem Lake area...

Mr. Than Trong Ninh next to the photo he took on the day the capital was taken - Documentary photo taken from the photo book We bring back the glory of the nation's strength

With the enthusiastic heart of youth, Mr. Than Trong Ninh eagerly awaits the day of taking over the capital.

During the days leading up to liberation, the Hue student rushed out into the streets to “capture” historical images of the capital and the country.

The image he took most was of people happily and excitedly going out to the streets to welcome the soldiers.

In one photo, he “captured” a special historical moment: the last French military police motorbike leaving, behind was a large crowd of people pouring into the streets to celebrate the first moment of freedom for Hanoi after nine years of resistance.

From these two precious films, Mr. Duong Trung Quoc believes that there are likely many more precious photos of the capital takeover event that the people of Hanoi are keeping.

Mr. Trinh Dinh Tien himself still keeps some photos he took of Hanoi on the day of liberation, mainly photos of the welcome gates on Hanoi's Old Quarter.

So an interesting search begins.

Two photography enthusiasts, who were both children of the bourgeoisie in Hanoi's Old Quarter, one lived in Hang Dao (Mr. Nguyen Huu Bao), the other in Hang Bo (Mr. Trinh Dinh Tien), circled the bourgeoisie in Hanoi at that time and knocked on each door to look for photos. Because at that time, only the rich could afford to take photos.

And in that quiet journey of searching, the two men found valuable photos of the master amateur photographer Nguyen Duy Kien, or the owner of the famous International Photo Studio Phan Xuan Thuy, Mr. Le Suu on Hang Dao street...

Flag-raising ceremony at the Flagpole yard on the afternoon of October 10, 1954, taken by Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy

In 2004, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the capital, the Hanoi People's Committee, the Vietnam Revolution Museum and the Vietnam Historical Science Association organized a special exhibition: The day of taking over the capital through the lens of Hanoi people.

This is the result of a hunt and collection of half-century-old photos hidden in family albums of Hanoi people, organized by the Vietnam Historical Science Association.

Two unexpected films open a touching search

Before this time, there were not many photos of the capital takeover event, only a few photos of the News Agency reporters following the troops marching to Hanoi and some photos taken from the film Vietnam on the Road to Victory by Soviet director Karmen, to fully understand the meaning of the collection.

Photographer Nguyen Huu Bao, along with Mr. Trinh Dinh Tien (who passed away in 2021), two reporters and photo collaborators of the magazine Xua Va Nay of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, were the ones who knocked on many doors in Hanoi to collect valuable photos of the day the capital was taken over through the lens of the people.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Bao - Photo: T.DIEU

Historian Duong Trung Quoc was the one who came up with the idea of searching for photo sources about this important event in Hanoi family albums.

Inspiration came to him when one day 20 years ago, he unexpectedly received two Kodak films sent by an old teacher from Hue. They were more than 70 photos of Mr. Than Trong Ninh.

During the event on October 10, 1954, Mr. Kien was the one who took the photo that accurately reflected the atmosphere of "the army marching like waves / Layer upon layer of troops advancing...

The five city gates welcomed the advancing army" that musician Van Cao had predicted five years earlier.

The precious photo of Dr. Tran Duy Hung in a military uniform, wearing white glasses, standing in a car, smiling and waving to people on both sides of Hang Dao street, which has recently become quite popular, was taken by Nguyen Duy Kien and given to a friend.

Chairman of the Hanoi Administrative Committee Tran Duy Hung is a friend of Nguyen Duy Kien. Later, Tran Duy Hung's son, Tran Tien Duc, gave the photo to Huu Bao's group.

Doctor Tran Duy Hung - Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Military Management Committee - returned to take over the capital, waving to people on Hang Dao Street, photographed by Nguyen Duy Kien

During that search, there was a particularly touching photo of Mr. Le Suu. Mr. Suu still lives on Hang Dao Street.

Mr. Bao said that Mr. Le Suu was the son of a Duc Hoa bourgeois family at 80 Hang Dao. Because he was from a rich family, Mr. Suu had a camera. During the days of taking over the capital, Mr. Suu was 17 years old and the eldest brother in the family.

On October 10, 1954, facing the strong momentum of the returning troops marching through his home street, Hang Dao, as well as the overwhelming joy of the people welcoming the liberated capital, Mr. Suu took out his camera to take a picture of his 7-year-old brother, Le Bao Thap, standing in front of his house, waving a flag to greet the returning troops.

The photo moved the collection team deeply because of the story behind it. The boy in the photo later followed in the footsteps of the soldiers of the past, marching to the South to fight and then died on the battlefield of Quang Tri in 1969.

Mr. Le Suu took a photo of his 7-year-old brother standing in front of his house to greet the liberation army.

Also on Hang Dao Street, architect Dang Tran Hoan brought interesting photos when taking the same angle standing on the attic, pointing the lens towards Hoan Kiem Lake at two different times to tell the story of Hanoi's changes since the takeover, before and after the French withdrew.

The photo was taken before the French army withdrew, the streets were deserted, with only French soldiers on duty on the streets. The second photo was taken after the French army withdrew, with people pouring into the streets as if to breathe the air of freedom they had waited for so many years.

The historic moment when Hanoi people poured into the streets to celebrate the liberation when the last motorbike of the French military police left, was recorded by Mr. Than Trong Ninh.

During his photo search that day, Mr. Nguyen Huu Bao also met Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy - owner of the famous International Photo Studio on Hang Khay Street.

His house is near Hoan Kiem Lake, very close to the International Post Office on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, which is the headquarters of the International Commission for Supervision of the Armistice in Vietnam in Hanoi, so he took many valuable pictures of people at important historical moments in the capital that few people took.

Such as the photo of the flag salute by Canadian officers and the flag salute by Indian officers of the International Commission, or the image of the International Commission on the street supervising the armistice.

The car of General Vuong Thua Vu - Chairman of the Hanoi Military Management Committee, paraded through Hang Dao Street on the morning of October 10, 1954, followed by the car of Chairman of the Hanoi Administrative Committee Tran Duy Hung, photographed by Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy

Another unique photo by Mr. Thuy is a photo of Trang Tien Street at the moment of change in the early morning of October 10, after the "rain washed away the slaves", the street was deserted before the liberation army prepared to enter through the five gates.

Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy also took many beautiful pictures of people welcoming the army to take over the capital, especially many beautiful pictures at the historic flag-raising ceremony at the Flagpole yard.

That autumn afternoon, people saw "Hanoi burst into the sound of the Marching Song", welcoming an era of independence and freedom for the country.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cuoc-tim-kiem-cam-dong-nhung-buc-anh-quy-ngay-tiep-quan-thu-do-20241009222918004.htm#content-5