The Atomic Age
By Celeste Nelson
The Atomic Age was the time period in America directly following the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When the power and destruction of nuclear energy was discovered, the general public went into a tailspin of new cultural and societal changes. Americans were living on the brink of what they thought would be nuclear war and while coping with the fear, they also took the idea of atomic bombs and warped it into a new 'atomic style'. In my research paper, I will be delving into America during the Atomic Age.
The Atomic Age began directly after the two atomic bombs: Fat Man and Little Boy, were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The dropping of the bombs on August 6 and August 9, 1945 were what ended the Second World War and sparked a beginning to the Cold War. The two bombs killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000–80,000 in Nagasaki in the immediate months following; the long term the affects of the bombs killed many more due to the burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries. Despite the massive destruction and brutal murder of two cities and millions of people, the bomb got the Japanese to surrender, thus ending the Second World War. But directly after one ended another started and that was the Cold War.
Shortly after the dropping of the bombs it was found out that the soviets had successfully tested their own atomic bomb. This ensued the nuclear arms race. The general public of America was living in fear of the nuclear bomb. The government reacted by putting out a Civil Defense campaign to teach Americans how to protect themselves in the midst of a nuclear attack. They showed a movie to kids in school of 'Bert The Turtle' that taught children to duck under their desks to avoid being part of a certain death that a nuclear bomb would ensue. The government also encouraged many families built fallout shelters where a family could retreat to be protected against atomic bombs and radiation. They were stocked with food that would last for weeks. These government encouragements were only to help Americans have peace of mind. Of course ducking under your desk would not help you in a nuclear explosion. The government portrayed the possibility of a nuclear attack as something easily survivable, when in reality the likelihood of someone surviving an atomic bomb is next to none.
In my research, I watched the movie 'The Atomic Cafe' (1982) . This was a collection of government issued propaganda. While the film had all real footage, it made it into a satire. A lot of the footage was of people being shamed for being a communist. Much of the Governments influence was to tell the Americans who and what to be and not to be scared of. They let out a lot of propaganda saying that the soviets got the information on how to make an atomic bomb because an American leaked it to them. The whole film turns a very serious topic into a type of irony. When you know the government is lying about something it makes you wonder about what else they lied about.
In just a few hours after the bombs were dropped on Japan, a new Atomic Style erupted in America. First there was the 'Atomic Cocktail' being served by the Washington Press Club. Next Los Angeles burlesque clubs were offering 'Atom Bomb Dancers'. There was a New York jewelry line that release the atomic inspired pin and earrings set. Atomic became a symbol for Americans about a new age where anything was possible and they were in control because they had won the war. Many furniture sets were modeled after the atom as well. Clean lines and organic shapes were very popular. The iconic 'boomerang' style coffee table was directly made as an atomic inspired piece. And the atomic style clock was made to directly resemble an atom.
The Atomic Bomb inspired many things and among them being the Miss Atom Bomb Pageant from 1952 to 1957. As the Atom Bomb fever swept the nation it also flooded into the pageant world. The first Miss Atom Bomb was Candyce King who was a Las Vegas dancer. I find this pageant do significant because the Atomic Bomb was so destructive and it killed millions of innocent people, but the Americans are praising it as if it is a compliment. The Americans did not think that the deaths of all those people were a good thing, but the fact that it had saved them from the war, They didn't know what else to do than to praise the bomb.
Despite the Atomic Bomb bringing such mass destruction and a new type of fear, it also inspired a new wave in America; one that meant innovation and power. Much of the Atomic age still lives today whether it's in the retro vintage style or the atomic bomb threat coming from some Middle East countries.
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| Boomerang Table modeled after one found in the Atomic Age |
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| A Fallout Shelter ad for what one might look like |
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| The cover for The Atomic Cafe movie |
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| The last Miss Atomic Bomb |
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| Bert The Turtle from the film that taught kids to duck and cover |
Annotated Bibliography
This article talked had information on how the bomb shaped American culture
This source was from the Nevada Department of Energy about the history of Miss Atom Bomb
A website that talked extensively about decor in the 1950's and how it was influenced by the Atomic Age
A website about the reaction America had to the bombs dropped on Japan
An article about the effects the bombs had on Japan as a country
A Huffington post article talking about the nuclear threat in modern America
The Youtube video showing the film - The Atomic Cafe
