Atomic Bomb Filter: Help Me Find A Specific Atomic Test Picture

November 8, 2007 7:44 PM

I am looking for a picture of a an exploded nuclear weapon test with soldiers standing silohuetted looking at the mushroom cloud, watching it with no special protective clothing. It was a great picture between 1945 and 1950 (I think). Not sure the date of the test, but obviously 1944 or later. Let me know if you have any ideas on how to find it.
posted by gnash to media & arts (7 comments total)

Previously
posted by cashman at 7:55 PM on November 8, 2007

This looks like it.
posted by youngergirl44 at 8:30 PM on November 8, 2007

Nice pic, youngergirl44. But gnash really oughta check out The Atomic Cafe which has color film of unprotected US soldiers crouching in a trench as a bomb goes off, then emerging and walking into the cloud of dust at the base of the mushroom cloud. Not exactly silohueted, however.
posted by Rash at 8:41 PM on November 8, 2007

There's also the great Of War Pigs and Atom Bombs video which features footage much like you described set to Black Sabbath.
posted by furtive at 9:09 PM on November 8, 2007

I think the photograph you may be thinking of is on the cover of the first edition (not the paperback) of Paul Boyer's "By the Bomb's Early Light." Yes, wretched pun, put it's a pretty decent book on American culture in the early atomic age. If you can find a copy or just find copyright information you'd be able to track down the picture.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 6:51 AM on November 9, 2007

There's also the great ... video which features footage much like you described

The very one. For a still, see this review of The Atomic Cafe.
posted by Rash at 6:15 PM on November 13, 2007

Egad dear lord sorry I posted it twice?!?!

Where has my mind gone. Thanks for the responses. The one youngergirl mentioned is *close* but not the one I was thinking of.
posted by gnash at 4:41 PM on November 14, 2007