The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 1
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 2
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 3
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 4
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 5
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 6
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 7
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 8
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 9
The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll - photo 10

The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll

Sold
$ 18 900
Auction dateClassic
19.10.2023 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1032753
Lot 101 | The nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll
OPERATION CROSSROADS – An archive of 33 photographs from the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, 1 & 24 July 1946.

Primarily gelatin silver prints together with a chromogenic print, varying sizes from 192 x 192mm (7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.) to 511 x 609mm (20 1/8 x 24in.). some bearing penciled notations on verso and others stamped "LOS ALAMOS PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORATORY," (several photographs bear creases, many with some marginal wear). Thirteen images bound in a hand-made wooden album.

The atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, July 1946. A photographic record of the first nuclear tests staged following the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The large-scale, public tests were designed to determine the effectiveness of nuclear weapons against warships. After relocating the native residents of the Marshall Island atoll, nearly 100 warships were placed into the region at varying distances to determine the amount of damage that would be inflicted. Two bombs, both plutonium devices similar to what was tested at Trinity and dropped on Nagasaki, were used for the test. The first test (known as Test Able), held on 1 July 1946 involved an areal drop with the detonation occurring approximately 500 feet above the water surface. The second test (Test Baker), held on 24 July involved an underwater detonation. The second detonation resulted in a high degree of radioactive contamination. It led chemist Glenn T. Seaborg, the longtime chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, to declare Baker "the world's first nuclear disaster." He meant, of course, the first unintentional nuclear disaster. Bikini Atoll continued to be used as a nuclear testing ground until the late 1950s and the area and its people have struggled with issues of radioactive contamination to this day.

From the collection of Roger S. Warner. These photographs were kept by Roger S. Warner (1907-1976), who was in charge of the non-nuclear components of the first three atomic bombs ever made. After the successful test at Trinity in July 1945, Warner was sent to Tinian Island, where he oversaw the final assembly of both "Little Boy," and "Fat Man." It was in this capacity that he worked at Bikini Atoll, though much of his time during the actual tests was consumed with escorting various military officials and dignities who came to witness the tests. Please see lots 99 and 100 for additional photographs from Warner's collection.
Place of origin:USA
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
14.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
15.10.2023 13:00 – 17:00
16.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
17.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
18.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.