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The Bomb in the Wilderness
Photography and the Nuclear Era in Canada
John O'Brian (Author)
9780774863889
Paperback / softback, published 1 October 2020
244 pages, 124 photos, 20 in colour
25.4 x 19.1 x 1.5 cm, 0.72 kg
O'Brian's history of Canada's involvement in the nuclear story forms an eye-opening reminder that, however we perceive the world, our individual view is never the whole picture. - Peter M. Sramek, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Art (Photography), OCAD University (University of Toronto Quarterly) Art historian O'Brian has brought together all his powers of observation and perception to help us rethink how we view the history and the mystery of the bomb.
Photographs link the nuclear past and nuclear present, shaping the public's perception of events. What can they reveal about Canada's nuclear footprint? The Bomb in the Wilderness contends that photography is central to how we have represented, interpreted, and remembered nuclear activities since 1945. During the Second World War, Canada was a member of the Manhattan Project, the consortium that developed the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The impact and global reach of Canada's nuclear programs has been felt ever since. But do photographs alert viewers to nuclear threat, numb them to its dangers, or by some strange calculus accomplish both? John O'Brian's wide-ranging and personal account of the nuclear era presents and discusses more than a hundred photographs, ranging from military images to the atomic ephemera of consumer culture. We need this fascinating analysis, to ensure that we do not look away.
Preface: Radioactive Footprints Introduction: Still Photographs 1 Nuclear Industry 2 Chalk River 3 Cold War Defence 4 Cloud Shadows 5 Atomic Soldiers 6 Mass Protest 7 Camera Targets Epilogue: Deadpan Pictures Atomic Timeline Notes, Selected Bibliography, Index