While we don’t like the idea of devastating nuclear weapons any more than anyone else, we have to admit that the tests conducted with them in the 50s were pretty spectacular. AtomCentral.com recently released remastered HD footage of several of the Operation Teapot tests which took place in 1955.

The explosions are vivid, violent…and kind of beautiful. In a sad, deadly way, of course. There are several blasts in the video below, and there are a couple of painfully bright flashes – so we don’t recommend watching in a dark room.

This footage was previously unreleased from tests conducted on the Nevada test grounds. These were some seriously massive bombs that created incredible explosions. The detonations are definitely amazing to watch…from the safety of 60 years away.

The post And…Boom: Amazing HD Footage of Atomic Bomb Testing first appeared on Gajitz.

Postcards are sort of like little advertisements for the towns and tourist spots they come from. And although they might have pretty pictures and interesting historical facts, most postcards are easily forgotten. That’s not the case with postcards from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, known as the home of the atomic bomb.

This otherwise unassuming town was an official government secret for many years; during its time as the base for the Manhattan Project, it didn’t appear on any maps and bore no official name. The majority of the workers at the government facility didn’t know what they were brought there to work on. After the first A-bomb was dropped on Japan in August, 1945, the workers finally knew what they’d been helping to create at Oak Ridge.

After World War II ended, a book of Oak Ridge postcards was released. The book is a very unique relic, being one of the few times a secret government installation was allowed to be photographed in such detail and released to the general public in a format like souvenir postcards.

The postcards are indicative of the pride that the citizens and workers of Oak Ridge felt (and largely still feel) about their role in ending the war. Even today, Oak Ridge continues to be a center of science and technology. Although the area is thought to be massively contaminated from the production of nuclear weapons, it continues to be home to government research projects.

It’s almost spooky to look at these proud images of the birthplace of the A-bomb knowing the massive destruction the weapon caused. But as a rare piece of Americana, this set of postcards is a fantastic slice of history.

The post Greetings From the Atomic Town: Oak Ridge Postcards first appeared on Gajitz.

Most of us don’t think about atomic weapons on a daily basis these days, but during the Cold War every man, woman and child in America was prepared for a world-ending blast at any moment. Government videos, posters and instructional materials warned of the imminent danger of the A-bomb taking out everything in its path. As this vintage video from the 1950s shows, even schoolchildren were taught to be constantly on edge and ready to run for their lives.

This video will look familiar to those who grew up in America in the 50s. It was shown in schools to educate children on what to do when the air raid sirens went off and an A-bomb detonation was imminent…or when the tell-tale flash went off and there was no time to react. The surreal instructions are made even more odd by the star of the film: the lovable cartoon turtle, Bert, who taught kids how to “duck and cover” to save their lives.

The post Duck and Cover: Surreal 1950s A-Bomb Educational Video first appeared on Gajitz.