Monday 12 May 2008

In Search For 'Miss Atomic Bomb'

Since their dramatic public debut in August 1945, nuclear weapons and their potential effects have been a recurring motif in popular culture, to the extent that the decades of the Cold War are often referred to as the 'atomic age.'

The famous 1957 photograph of Miss Atomic Bomb, a smiling Las Vegas showgirl in a mushroom cloud bathing suit with her arms outstretched to the sky, has often been used as representative of Cold War kitsch and a symbol of the bizarre love affair Las Vegas had with the Bomb in the 1950s.

But whatever happened to Miss Atomic Bomb? That is a question Robert Friedrichs of the National Nuclear Security Administration has been working on for the last couple of years. CONELRAD's Missing Persons Bureau has volunteered to help Mr. Friedrichs spread the word of his quest.

2 comment(s):

Michael said...

Hi Gerard

This is great to see this post! I know Bob Friedrichs from when I worked with him on the planning and design of the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. I've got a Miss Atomic Bomb magnet on my fridge. This made my day.

Cheers

Michael

Anonymous said...

My stepfather, Don English, took this photo while working with the Las Vegas News Bureau.