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[Atomic Bomb Explosion]

1946–52
Not on view
World War II was the most expensive and destructive war of all time, not only because of the extensive use of airplanes and guided missiles but also because of the introduction of nuclear warfare, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan. Wartime photography also changed, largely due to Edgerton's invention of the stroboscopic, or electronic, flash, which allowed nighttime tracking of German troops. Edgerton received the Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
Working for the Atomic Energy Commission in 1947, Edgerton's company developed a complicated system of mirrors, telescopes, relay lenses, and shutters in order to capture the first microseconds of an atomic bomb explosion during post-war testing. Not a war photograph in the strict sense of the term, Edgerton's stop-motion image is nevertheless a terrifying symbol of the legacy of that war.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: [Atomic Bomb Explosion]
  • Artist: Harold Edgerton (American, 1903–1990)
  • Date: 1946–52
  • Medium: Gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions: 22.9 x 29.1 cm (9 x 11 7/16 in.)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Gift of The Harold and Esther Edgerton Family Foundation, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.62.39
  • Rights and Reproduction: © MIT, Harold Edgerton, 2014, courtesy of Palm Press, Inc.
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

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