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Atoms for the people: the Atomic Scientists' Association, the British state and nuclear education in the Atom Train exhibition, 1947–1948

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2013

CHRISTOPH LAUCHT
CHRISTOPH LAUCHT*
Affiliation:
School of History, Michael Sadler Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

This article concerns the Atom Train travelling exhibition that the chief body of the British nuclear scientists' movement, the Atomic Scientists' Association (ASA), organized in collaboration with government offices and private industry in 1947–1948. It argues that the exhibition marked an important moment within post-war British nuclear culture where nuclear scientists shared aspects of their nuclear knowledge with the British public, while simultaneously clashing with the interests of the emerging British national security state in the early Cold War.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal for the History of Science , Volume 45 , Issue 4: Special Issue: British Nuclear Culture , December 2012 , pp. 591 - 608
Copyright
Copyright © British Society for the History of Science 2013

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References

1 Cassandra, ‘A dagger for baby’, Daily Mirror, 22 April 1948, p. 4.

2 Boyer, Paul S., Fallout: A Historian Reflects on America's Half-Century Encounter with Nuclear Weapons, Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1998, p. 7Google Scholar; Wittner, Lawrence S., The Struggle against the Bomb, 3 vols., Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1993–2003, vol. 1, p. 81Google Scholar. On the newspaper coverage see, for example, ‘Atomic bomb in use against Japs – total ruin soon’, Daily Mirror, 7 August 1945, p. 1; ‘Atomic bomb used on Japan’, Manchester Guardian, 7 August 1945, p. 5; ‘The bomb that has changed the world’, Daily Express, 7 August 1945, p. 1; ‘First atomic bomb hits Japan’, The Times, 7 August 1945, p. 4; ‘Scientists whose research gave Britain and America the secrets of atomic energy’, Picture Post, 25 August 1945, pp. 12–13, 12; ‘Some of the men who made the atomic bomb possible’, Illustrated London News, 18 August 1945, p. 181.

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16 Second Secretary, memorandum, 28 February 1947; J.E. Adamson, ‘Atomic Scientists' Association exhibition train – electricity supply’, 9 June 1947, TNA, AB16/27; ‘Medical exhibits on a train: penicillin and vaccines’, The Times, 30 August 1945, p. 2; ‘News in brief’, The Times, 17 December 1945, p. 8; ‘Penicillin train at Paddington’, The Times, 15 October 1945, p. 2.

17 Rotblat, Joseph, ‘The atomic energy exhibition is coming’, Atomic Scientists' News (17 September 1947) 1, pp. 31–34, 32Google Scholar.

18 Association of Atomic Scientists, Provisional Committee, ‘Minutes of Meeting held at University College, London on Saturday, March 16th, 1946 at 11 a.m.’, RTBT, K. 27, p. 3; W.J. Arrol and E.H.S. Burhop, ‘Atomic Scientists' Association: Minutes of Council Meeting held at Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, on Saturday, July 6th, 1946 at 11.45 a.m.’, RTBT, K. 27, p. 2; Rotblat to Peierls, 10 September 1946, RTBT, K. 152.

19 W.J.J. Curry, M.J. Moore and J. Rotblat, ‘Memorandum on atomic energy train exhibition’, 27 November 1946, p. 1, attached to letter, P.B. Moon to M.W. Perrin, 13 January 1947, TNA, AB16/27. The memorandum contains in Appendix 1a ‘Plan of exhibition’ (pp. 5–6) and in Appendix 2 a list of ‘Equipment required for exhibition’ (p. 7).

20 Halliday, Bryce, ‘Professor Rotblat and the atom train’, in Rowlands, Peter and Attwood, Vincent (eds.), War and Peace: The Life and Work of Sir Joseph Rotblat, Liverpool: University of Liverpool, 2006, pp. 139–143, 140–141Google Scholar; ‘Opening of the Atomic Energy Exhibition’, Atomic Scientists' News (21 November 1947) 1, pp. 66–67, 67; Peierls to Massey, 14 May 1946, the Papers and Correspondence of Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford (subsequently Peierls Papers), MS Eng. Misc. b. 223, F 4.

21 Peierls to Massey, 14 May 1946, Peierls Papers, MS Eng. Misc. b. 223, F 4.

22 Moon to Perrin, 13 January 1947, TNA, AB16/27; Rotblat to Peirson, 29 January 1947, TNA, AB16/52.

23 Gowing, op. cit. (12), pp. 116, 126.

24 Peierls to Perrin, 9 September 1946, TNA, AB16/27.

25 Peierls to Perrin, 9 September 1946; Perrin to Peierls, 11 September 1946, TNA, AB16/27.

26 Gowing, op. cit. (12), pp. 203–207.

27 Cockcroft to Peirson, 14 July 1947; Peirson to Cockcroft, 23 July 1947; Cockcroft to Peirson, 28 July 1947; Peirson to Cockcroft, 31 July 1947; Skinner to Peirson, 19 August 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

28 Attlee to Wilmot, 30 September 1947; Wilmot to Attlee, 30 September 1947; Attlee to Wilmot, 1 October 1947, TNA, PREM 8/910; Gowing, op. cit. (12), pp. 126–127.

29 Strauss to Attlee, 13 October 1947; Helsby to Attlee, 14 October 1947; Pumphrey to Wilson, 21 October 1947, TNA, PREM 8/910; ‘Official Committee on Information Services. Minutes of the 22nd Meeting held on Friday, 14 February 1947 at 15.30 Hours in Room 237, Shell Mex House, London, W.C.2’; Moon to Peirson, 2 March 1947; Moon to Peirson, 14 April 1947; Peirson, ‘Atomic Energy Exhibitions’, 27 June 1947, TNA, AB16/27; Fishenden to Schonland, 10 February 1958, TNA, AB 27/6; Rickett to Peirson, 10 March 1947, TNA, CAB 126/209.

30 Massey to Rotblat, 25 April 1947; Rotblat to Massey, 29 April 1947, RTBT, K. 153; P.B. Moon, ‘The eighth meeting of the Council was held in the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, on Saturday, 3rd May, 1947’, n.d., RTBT, K. 30, p. 2; Rotblat to Peirson, 30 September 1947; Peirson to Rotblat, 8 October 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

31 Rotblat to Attlee, 9 March 1948, TNA, AB16/401; Pumphrey to Rotblat, 16 March 1948, TNA, PREM8/910.

32 Wood to Pumphrey, 12 March 1948, TNA, AB16/401.

33 ‘Invitations to launching and luncheon’, n.d., Rotblat to Peirson, 7 October 1947, TNA, AB16/27; Wittner, op. cit. (2), pp. 182–183.

34 See, for example, J.H. Awbery, ‘Section memo. No. 11: Ministry of Supply – Dept. of Atomic Energy’, 1 April 1948; L.C.J. Orchard, ‘Atomic energy train exhibition’, 17 March 1948, TNA, AB16/401.

35 Moon to members of the ASA Council, 31 March 1947; P.B. Moon, ‘The eighth meeting of the Council was held in the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, on Saturday, 3rd May, 1947’, n.d., RTBT, K.30, 1; Adamson to Godwin, 14 May 1947; J.E. Adamson, minute sheet, minute 19, 28 June 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

36 Rotblat, op. cit. (9), pp. 7–8.

37 E.L. Baddeley, ‘Memorandum on proposed atomic energy exhibition’, 20 Feburary 1947, TNA, AB16/27; J.E. Adamson, minute sheet, 28 January 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

38 G.O. Jones, ‘Minutes of the thirteenth Council meeting held at the Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, on Saturday, 4th October, 1947 at 11.45 a.m.’, 7 October 1947, RTBT, K. 31, p. 1; Peirson to Eales, 17 November 1948, TNA, AB16/401.

39 Rotblat to Spencer, 17 June 1947, RTBT, K. 153.

40 Woodford to Duggan, 16 June 1947, TNA, AB16/27; Rotblat to J. Spencer, 17 June 1947, RTBT, K. 153.

41 J.E. Adamson, ‘Atomic Scientists' Association exhibition train – electricity supply’, 9 June 1947; Longair to Rotblat, 14 August 1947; Peierls to Peirson, 11 July 1947; Peirson to Goodison, 15 July 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

42 Rotblat to Goodison, 11 June 1947, RTBT, K. 153; J.E. Adamson, minute sheet, minute 19, 28 June 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

43 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), unpaginated acknowledgements section; ‘Schedule of equipment and materials loaned by A.E.R.E. Harwell for use as exhibits in the A.S.A. train exhibition’, n.d., TNA, AB16/401; Thomas to Rotblat, 26 November 1947; Thomas to Rotblat, 3 December 1947, RTBT, K. 154.

44 Ministry of Supply, Information Directorate, ‘Press notice: atomic energy train exhibition’, 5 September 1947, RTBT, K. 159. On the locations where the Atom Train called see the attached ‘Itinerary for the atomic energy exhibition’, n.d. The press conference is discussed in O'Shanohun to J. Rotblat, 20 August 1947, RTBT, K. 153. D.E.H. Peirson, ‘Atomic scientists’ train exhibition’, 1 April 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

45 Bushbridge to Rotblat, 28 October 1947, RTBT, K. 153.

46 Rotblat to Peirson, 7 October 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

47 ‘Invitations to launching and luncheon’, n.d., TNA, AB16/27.

48 Mott to Peirson, 14 October 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

49 ‘Atomic exhibition train: tour of 25 centres’, Manchester Guardian, 27 October 1947, p. 3; Rotblat to Peirson, 2 September 1947, TNA, AB16/27; G.O. Jones, ‘Minutes of the eleventh Council meeting held at the University of Birmingham, Edmund Street, on Wednesday, 30th July, 1947 at 11.45 a.m.’, 2 August 1947, RTBT, K. 31, p. 1.

50 June Clayton, ‘A noble man of science, a Nobel man of peace: Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat, FRS, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1995’, unpublished master's thesis, University of Liverpool, 2003, p. 78; Rotblat, op. cit. (9), p. 7; Rotblat, op. cit. (17), pp. 33–34.

51 ‘Atomic energy exhibition and atomic energy weeks (Guide for Regional Committees)’, n.d., RTBT, K. 165.

52 ‘Atom train’, n.d., Peierls Papers, MS Eng. Misc. b. 223, F 5.

53 ‘The atomic energy exhibition’, Atomic Scientists' News (19 December 1947) 1, pp. 80–81.

54 ‘Atomic exhibition train’, op. cit. (49), p. 3.

55 ‘Atomic energy exhibition and atomic energy weeks (Guide for Regional Committees)’, n.d., RTBT, K. 165, pp. 3–4; Rotblat, op. cit. (9), p. 7; Rotblat, op. cit. (18), pp. 33–34.

56 Jones, op. cit. (49), p. 1.

57 Joseph Rotblat, ‘Atomic energy exhibition’, Atomic Scientists' News (30 January 1948) 1, pp. 104–105.

58 Forgan, op. cit. (6), p. 177. For a list of equipment on loan to the ASA, see ‘Equipment and materials loaned to the A.S.A. for use as exhibits in the train exhibition’, n.d., TNA, AB16/401.

59 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), unpaginated introduction.

60 ‘An atomic power station “Perhaps in ten years”: scientists man an exhibition train’, Manchester Guardian, 7 November 1947, p. 6.

61 Gallup International Public Opinion Polls, op. cit. (3), pp. 132, 183–184.

62 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), unpaginated; ‘Atom train: a travelling exhibition on atomic energy designed by Peter Moro and Robin Day’, Architects’ Journal, 13 November 1947, pp. 434–435, 435.

63 ‘Professors on atomic power stations in Britain’, Liverpool Echo, 6 November 1947, University Press Cuttings, 5 November 1941–31 December 1947, SJL, S. 2523, fols. 295–96r (fol. 295r).

64 ‘An atomic power station “Perhaps in ten years”’, op. cit. (60), p. 6.

65 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 5–27.

66 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 5–8. ‘Atom train exhibition: Atomic Scientists' Association’, n.d., pp. 1–3, attached to letter, Rotblat to Peirson, 30 September 1947, TNA, AB16/27.

67 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 8–10; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 4.

68 Oppenheimer, Frank, ‘The Exploratorium: a playful museum combines perception and art in science education’, American Journal of Physics (July 1972) 40, pp. 978–984CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

69 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 10–13; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), pp. 5–6.

70 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 14–15.

71 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 16–18; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 7.

72 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 18–20; ‘Atom train’, op. cit. (62), pp. 434–435; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), pp. 8–10;

73 ‘First reports of underwater atomic bomb test’, Manchester Guardian, 25 July 1946, p. 5; Weart, Spencer R., Nuclear Fear: A History of Images, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988, pp. 401–402Google Scholar.

74 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), p. 21.

75 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), p. 21; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 10.

76 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 21–22.

77 Effects of the Atomic Bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, op. cit. (7).

78 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), p. 22; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 10.

79 ‘Atom Train’, op. cit. (62), p. 435; ‘Atom train exhibition’ op. cit. (66), p. 10; Halliday, op. cit. (20), p. 142.

80 Morrison, Philip, ‘If the bomb gets out of hand’, in Masters, Dexter and Way, Katherine (eds.), One World or None: A Report to the Public on the Full Meaning of the Atomic Bomb, New York: Whittlesey House; McGraw-Hill, 1946Google Scholar; repr. New York: New Press, 2007, pp. 1–15.

81 ‘Atom train’, op. cit. (62), p. 434.

82 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), p. 23.

83 Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 23–24; ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), pp. 11–12.

84 ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 12; Atomic Scientists' Association, op. cit. (5), pp. 24–27.

85 ‘Professors on atomic power in Britain’, op. cit. (63), fol. 296r.

86 ‘Atom train exhibition’, op. cit. (66), p. 13.

87 Cited in ‘If atom war came’, op. cit. (4), fol. 295r.

88 Rotblat, op. cit. (9), pp. 4–8.

89 Strauss to Rotblat, 21 April 1948, RTBT, K. 154.

90 ‘An atomic power station “Perhaps in ten years”’, op. cit. (60), p. 6; Forgan, op. cit. (6), pp. 179–183.

91 Rotblat, op. cit. (57), p. 104.

92 The ASA approached the organizers of the Festival of Britain but did not actively contribute to it; Champion to Barry, 20 September 1950; Barry to Champion, 26 September 1949, RTBT, K. 166. On the tone of its exhibition on nuclear energy see Conekin, Becky E., ‘The Autobiography of a Nation’: The 1951 Festival of Britain, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003, pp. 67–68Google Scholar; Forgan, Sophie, ‘Festivals of science and the two cultures: science, design and display in the Festival of Britain, 1951’, BJHS (1998) 31, pp. 217–240, 218CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

93 ‘The atom train’, Atomic Scientists' News (6 March 1948) 1(8), pp. 109–110, 110; D.E.H. Peirson, memorandum, 19 January 1948; Peirson to Rotblat, 27 April 1948, TNA, AB16/401; Rotblat to Bridge, 29 December 1947; Barrington-Ward to Rotblat, 16 February 1948; Rotblat to Barrington-Ward, 23 February 1948, TNA, AB16/401; Peirson to Goodison, 21 January 1948, TNA, AB16/401.

94 Hunot to Rotblat, 20 May 1949, RTBT, K. 156.

95 G.O. Jones, ‘Minutes of the thirteenth Council meeting held at the Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, on Saturday, 4th October, 1947 at 11.45 a.m.’, 7 October 1947, RTBT, K. 31, p. 3.

96 Kurti to Evans, 3 October 1949, RTBT, K.44.

97 Rotblat to Haddingham, 1 June 1948; Haddingham to Rotblat, 1 July 1948, RTBT, K. 154; B. Michelsen, J. Rotblat and M. Ayache, ‘Agreement on the loan of equipment from the Atomic Scientists' Association to the Lebanese Government’, 20 September 1948, RTBT, K. 166; J. Rotblat to Nikitini, 29 November 1948, RTBT, K. 160; J. Rotblat, ‘The atomic energy exhibition in Beirut’, n.d., RTBT, K. 160, pp. 3–5. A copy of the catalogue in French and Arabic, ‘Mois de l'UNESCO: Exposition Scientifique. Novembre–Décembre 1948 Beyrouth’, can be found in K. 179. Rotblat, op. cit. (9), pp. 4–5; Joseph Rotblat, ‘The atomic energy exhibition in Beirut’, Atomic Scientists' News (9 March 1949) 2, pp. 120–125.

98 Ayache to Rotblat, 24 January 1949; Rotblat to Shadid, 27 April 1949; Rotblat to Shadid, 9 June 1949, RTBT, K. 164.

99 Londsdale to Rotblat, 13 October 1948, RTBT, K. 154. Saeland to ASA, 1 February 1949; Rotblat to Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, 7 February 1949, RTBT, K. 154.

100 Rotblat to Adamson, 1 November 1948; Adamson to Rotblat, 3 November 1948, RTBT, K. 154; Rotblat to Warberg, 14 July 1949; Warberg to Rotblat, 16 July 1949, RTBT, K. 157. See also ‘List of the equipment of atomic energy exhibition on loan to Scandinavian Exhibition Office’, n.d., RTBT, K. 159.

101 Jean to ASA, 15 February 1949; Rotblat to Jean, 26 February 1949, RTBT, K. 154; Rotblat to Jean, 23 July 1949, RTBT, K. 157.

102 Cassandra, op. cit. (1), p. 4, original emphases.