Atom by Daniel Blau

ATOM A collection of rare 1940 â &#x201E; 50s nuclear test pictures

ATOM In this collection we present rare 1940s and 1950s pictures of nuclear bomb blasts. They vary from luminous, blazing explosions and plumes of billowing smoke to an uncannily serene pastel mushroom cloud. The American nuclear tests of the mid 20th century took place in Pacific waters and the deserts of the American Southwest. The United States is known to have conducted more than 280 atmospheric and underwater tests, until the Limited Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union sent nuclear testing underground in 1962. All together the USA conducted over one thousand nuclear explosions until 1992. Most of these vintage prints hail from the collection of a former AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) employee. These photographs were circulated within military and scientific communities, likely only produced and given to high-ranking military personnel or scientists for research purposes or simply as signs of appreciation for their involvement in the tests. Studies of the atom began centuries ago with philosophers investigating the structure and nature of matter. To produce nuclear weapons, to split the atom, is to intervene in the natural order of things â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an ultimate display of power. While the prints were originally produced as visible evidence of scientific research and military operations, the photographs are unsettling for their aesthetic beauty. These world-changing weapons have left their imprint both on history and on photographic paper. There are glowing Ansco prints on white plastic film, Kodak color prints and dye transfer prints, made with the most modern and avant-garde methods of the time, which paved the way for later color printing techniques. Alongside the radiant color pictures, there is a stunning set of large format black and white prints of nuclear tests in Bikini Atoll. An unknown artist made these striking works by photographing the originals.

Within this pamphlet are vintage silver gelatin press prints of the first atomic test, known as the Trinity test, which happened in Alamogordo New Mexico on July 16, 1945. A press slug on the reverse of one of the photographs refers to the ‘dawn of the atomic age’ –the blinding light of these explosions signalled our entrance into a new era. The race for nuclear weapons was intertwined with the space race – with the USA and the USSR competing for technological and ideological supremacy. The enormity and horror of what unfolded in the nuclear attacks on Japan make these pictures particularly disturbing. The capacity of humans to both create and destroy is embodied in these unusual photographs

Carrie Foulkes, 2019

1. and 2. “Trinity, Alamogordo, New Mexico”, July 16, 1945

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3. “Operation Plumbbob, ‘John’, Nevada”, July 19, 1957

4. “Operation Tumbler-Snapper, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, April 22, 1952

5. “Operation Buster - Jangle, Nevada”, 1951 6. “Operation Buster - Jangle, ‘Dog’, Nevada”, November 1, 1951

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7. “Operation, Upshot-Knothole, ‘Grable’, Nevada”, May 25, 1953 8. “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Hood’, Nevada”, July 5, 1957

9. “Operation Ivy, ‘Mike’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll, Elugelab Island”, October 31, 1952

10. “Operation Dominic, ‘Trukee’, Kiribati, Kiritimati (Christmas Island)”, June 9, 1962

11. “Operation Castle, ‘Bravo’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll”, March 1, 1954

12. “Operation Red Wing, ‘Apache’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll”, July 8, 1956

13. “Operation Castle, ‘Bravo’, Marshall Islands, Bikini Atoll”, March 1, 1954

14. “Operation Upshot-Knothole, ‘Annie’, Nevada”, March 17, 1953

15. “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Smoky’, Nevada”, August 31, 1957 16. “Operation Teapot, ‘Apple-2’, Nevada”, May 5, 1955

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17. “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Hood’, Nevada”, July 5, 1957

18. “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, October 30, 1951

19. “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, October 30, 1951

20. “Operation Teapot, ‘Wasp Prime’, Nevada”, March 29, 1955

21. “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Dog’, Nevada”, November 1, 1951

22. “Operation Tumbler-Snapper, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, April 22, 1952

23. “Operation Ivy, ‘Mike’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll, Elugelab Island”, November 1, 1952

24. “Gemini VI and VII, The First Rendezvous in Space”, December 15, 1965

INDEX Front and Endpapers: Operation Crossroads, Able and Baker, Marshall Islands, Bikini Atoll, July 1 and 25, 1946 (Installation View) 1 Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory “Trinity, Alamogordo, New Mexico”, July 16, 1945, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed by August 20, 1945, 11,5 x 11,9 cm, (3659) 2 Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory “Trinity, Alamogordo, New Mexico”, July 16, 1945, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed by August 20, 1945, 22,7 (25,5) x 19,4 (20,7) cm, (6612) 3 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Plumbbob, ‘John’, Nevada”, July 19, 1957, color print on semi-matte Kodak fibre paper, verso: “A Kodak Paper” watermark, printed in 1957, 19,3 (20,4) x 23,9 (25,2) cm, (5910) 4 U.S. Armed Forces, Stewart “Operation Tumbler-Snapper, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, April 22, 1952, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1952, 31,6 (33,9) x 25,4 (42,2) cm, (10053) 5 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Buster-Jangle, Nevada”, 1951, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1951, 31,8 (43) x 25,4 (35,4) cm, (8846) 6 Atomic Energy Commision “Operation Buster Jangle, ‘Dog’, Nevada”, November 1, 1951, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1951 31,6 (34,7) x 25,4 (27,9) cm, (10054)

7 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation, Upshot-Knothole, ‘Grable’, Nevada”, May 25, 1953, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1953, 25,3 (35,2) x 30,5 (42,9) cm, (8837) 8 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Hood’, Nevada”, July 5, 1957, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1957, 24,9 (35,2) x 31,2 (43) cm, (8828) 9 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Ivy, ‘Mike’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll, Elugelab Island“, October 31, 1952, color print on glossy fibre Kodak paper, verso: “A Kodak Paper” watermark, printed by August 3, 1956, 27,6 (28,3) x 34,4 (35,4) cm, (10082) 10 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Dominic, ‘Trukee’, Kiribati, Kiritimati (Christmas Island)”, June 9, 1962, color print on glossy fibre Kodak paper, verso: “A Kodak Paper” watermark, printed in 1962, 16,9 (17,9) x 11,7 (12,6) cm, (4856) 11 U.S. Armed Forces „Operation Castle, ‘Bravo’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll“, March 1, 1954, vintage color print on glossy fiber paper, verso: “A Kodak Paper” watermark, printed by August 3, 1956, 27,6 (28,3) x 34,4 (35,4) cm, (10081) 12 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Red Wing, ‘Apache’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll”, July 8, 1956, color print on high gloss white Ansco safety film, printed in 1956, 8,7 (9,8) x 11,3 (12,7) cm, (9701)

13 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Castle, ‘Bravo’, Marshall Islands, Bikini Atoll”, March 1, 1954, color print on semi-matte Kodak fibre paper, verso: “A Kodak Paper” watermark, printed in 1954, 20,4 (19,7) x 25,3 (24,5) cm, (10060) 14 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Upshot-Knothole, ‘Annie’, Nevada”, March 17, 1953, color print on high gloss white Ansco safety film, printed in 1953, 19,0 (20,0) x 23,9 (25,0) cm, (9727) 15 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Smoky’, Nevada”, August 31, 1957, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1957, 25,3 (35,2) x 31,7 (42,9) cm, (8841) 16 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Teapot, ‘Apple-2’, Nevada”, May 5, 1955, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1955, 24,9 (35,2) x 31,2 (43) cm, (8829) 17 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Plumbbob, ‘Hood’, Nevada”, July 5, 1957, dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1957, 20,2 (28,1) x 25,3 (35,4) cm, (8838) 18 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, October 30, 1951, color print on high gloss white Ansco safety film, printed in 1951, 19,1 (19,9) x 24,0 (24,9) cm, (9726) 19 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, October 30, 1951, color print on high gloss white Ansco safety film, printed in 1951, 19,1 (19,9) x 23,9 (24,9) cm, (8858)

20 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Teapot, ‘Wasp Prime’, Nevada”, March 29, 1955, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed by March 30, 1955, 19,1 (20,3) x 17,1 (18,1) cm, (5295) 21 International News Photos “Operation Buster-Jangle, ‘Dog’, Nevada”, November 1, 1951, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed by December 6, 1951, 21,2 (22,9) x 16,7 (18,3) cm, (6609) 22 U.S. Armed Forces “Operation Tumbler-Snapper, ‘Charlie’, Nevada”, April 22, 1952, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed in 1952, 24,2 (25,4) x 19,2 (20,6) cm, (8877) 23 Edgerton, Germeshausen & Grier, Inc “Operation Ivy, ‘Mike’, Marshall Islands, Enewetak Atoll, Elugelab Island ”, November 1, 1952, silver gelatin print on glossy fibre paper, printed in 1952, 20,0 (20,6) x 24,8 (25,4) cm, (10150) 24 NASA · Tom Stafford “Gemini VI and VII, The First Rendezvous in Space”, December 15, 1965, coated dye transfer print on matte fibre paper on original mount, printed in 1965, 27,7 (40,6) x 35,0 (50,7) cm, (10095) 25 Unidentified Artist, U.S. Armed Forces Joint Task Force One Set of 14 rare vintage oversized copy prints, “Operation Crossroads, ‘Baker’ & ‘Able’, Bikini Atoll”, July 1 & 25, 1946, vintage silver gelatin print on fibre paper, printed c. 1946, 45,4 ⁄ 50,4 x 35,3 ⁄ 40,5 cm, (10064 - 10077)

Daniel Blau Maximilianstraße 26 80539 Munich contact@danielblau.com + 49 (0) 89 29 73 42 www.danielblau.com Printed and bound by Pelo-Druck Lohner oHG Paper: Offset 60 g/m2 Paper cover: Olin, Rough, cream, 200g/m2 EDITOR Daniel Blau AUTHORS Carrie Foulkes ( carriefoulkes@gmail.com ) COPYRIGHT This Publication © Daniel Blau All illustrations except #6, #21, #23, #24 © U.S. Armed Forces, Courtesy Daniel Blau, Munich # 6: © Atomic Energy Commision, Courtesy Daniel Blau, Munich #21: © International News Photos, Courtesy Daniel Blau, Munich #23: © Edgerton, Germeshausen & Grier, Inc, Courtesy Daniel Blau, Munich #24: © NASA, Courtesy Daniel Blau, Munich

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the editor. © 2019, Daniel Blau, Munich

ISBN 978-3-00-061828-4

ISBN: 978-3-00-061828-4