DESCRIPTION: The "Baker" explosion, part of Operation Crossroads, a nuclear weapon test by the United States military at Bikini Atoll, Micronesia, on July 25, 1946. The wider, exterior cloud is actually just a condensation cloud caused by the Wilson chamber effect, and was very brief. There was no classic mushroom cloud rising to the stratosphere, but inside the condensation cloud the top of the water geyser formed a mushroom-like head called the cauliflower, which fell back into the lagoon. The water released by the explosion was highly radioactive and contaminated many of the ships that were set up near it. Some were otherwise undamaged and sent to Hunter's Point in San Francisco, California, United States, for decontamination. Those which could not be decontaminated were sunk a number of miles off the coast of San Francisco. Photographed by U.S. Department of Defense.
**Crop may be different than pictured depending on size selected
**Dimensions are approximate
Operation Crossroads - The "Baker" Test Explosion Nuclear Bomb
Heavy-weight professional media
Coated for water-resistance
Acid free to prevent yellowing
Crop may be different than pictured depending on size selected
Dimensions are approximateThe quality of historic images are subject to the capabilities of the original photographer, the wearing of time and the limitations of period technology. As history affords no retakes, we appreciate what has been left to us. Please note that we do not computer enhance or alter the original image in any way, as we feel its eccentricities contribute to its historic character. Thank you for taking this into consideration before making your purchase.