ATOMIC ALERT! Will Open at the Museum Of Russian Icons in June

After being postponed due to the pandemic, a new exhibition, Atomic Alert!: Confronting "The Bomb" in the New Atomic Age, will be on view at the Museum of Russian Icons from June 28 through August 8, 2021. The exhibition explores the U.S. government's Cold War era efforts, in the 1950s, to educate Americans about what to do before an atomic attack, how to react to a sudden blinding flash, and what action to take in the aftermath of a catastrophic blast.

The Soviet Union's detonation of its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949, thrust the United States into a new and more precarious era. Just four years after celebrating victory in World War II as the only nation with an atomic bomb, Americans now found themselves confronting the probability of an atomic war. Featuring artifacts such as posters, brochures, videos, and interpretation from the collection of Michael Scheibach, Ph.D., independent scholar and author, Atomic Alert! offers a unique opportunity to revisit the early atomic age when the world was divided between two atomic-armed adversaries: the United States and the Soviet Union.

As the 1950s unfolded, many military leaders and government officials believed an enemy attack by the Soviet Union was not just a possibility but a probability. To help prepare the nation, President Harry S. Truman created the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) in December 1950 to oversee the nation's civil defense program-a program designed to help Americans prepare for and survive an atomic attack. Atomic Alert! puts a special focus on the government's educational and volunteer programs, which encouraged the building of bomb shelters, the establishment of neighborhood wardens, and taught children to "duck and cover." In sections that explore how government officials hoped average Americans would behave before, during, and after a nuclear attack, visitors will encounter government-produced materials that range in tone and content from fun to fatalistic.

"While our permanent collection of Russian icons is the core of our mission, the Museum is also charged with deepening our understanding of Russian and Slavic cultures," says Executive Director Kent Russell. "Many of our icons depict themes of migration, immigration, and cultural and political disagreements-subjects that resonate with us today. Atomic Alert! continues along these themes as it delves into the Cold War and the troubled relationship that existed between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. during the mid-20th century; exploring how this period in history has shaped our current world."

A special feature of the exhibition will be a large interactive element called "When the Bomb Falls," which allows visitors to explore the impact of a nuclear blast on a geographic area. This striking artistic installation features the silhouette of a bomb roughly the size and shape of the bombs dropped in World War II. Coming face-to-face with the silhouette, and exploring the impact of an atomic explosion on a typical metropolitan area, gives visitors a sense of just how devastating nuclear war could be on communities and the people who live in them.

Five elements of the "Atomic Alert!" exhibition:

• A selection of educational films about the dangers of an atomic attack: From the iconic Duck and Cover, featuring Bert the Turtle, to more adult videos on home preparedness in the event of an atomic attack, the videos bring home the climate of scared anticipation so prevalent in the 1950s.
• Atomic Age comics: The Golden and Silver age of comics in America were sensitive to the realities and terrors of nuclear war. A selection of comics from the time illustrate just how pervasive the bomb was in American culture.
• Tabletop exhibits from the 1950s: The apocalyptic mindset of the Atomic Age brought practical concerns, like where to seek shelter in public places, or how to build your own fallout-proof space at home. These dynamic tabletop exhibits provided information on how to get started building your own shelter, or finding safety in office buildings, schools, and other areas.
• Civil defense posters: Published and distributed by the Federal Civil Defense Administration, these civil defense posters painted a grim picture of what would happen if a Cold War adversary pulled off a successful atomic attack.
• Evacuation maps of Nashville and Denver: These maps drive home the stakes of an atomic attack on an American city. These artifacts make clear the challenges facing civic governments in the face of nuclear war.

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