The auction block is about to witness a truly historic event, as a super rare 1945 report on the development of the atomic bomb has hit the market. This report, titled “Atomic Bombs: A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes Under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940-1945” by Henry D. Smyth, is signed by 24 Manhattan Project contributors, including some of the most prominent scientists and administrators of the time.
The report, which was privately printed in August 1945, was written before the testing of the first atomic bomb at the Los Alamos “Trinity” test site. It provides a detailed account of the development of the atomic bomb, detailing the methods used and the challenges faced by the scientists and engineers involved in the project.
What makes this report truly special is the fact that it is signed by 24 key figures in the development of the atomic bomb, including J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, James Chadwick, Harold Urey, and Isidor I. Rabi, all of whom played a crucial role in the creation of the most dangerous weapon ever devised.
The report also bears the signature of Henry D. Smyth, the author of the report, who was a key figure in the early development of nuclear energy and a member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The signatures were obtained by Nellie V. Sanderson, Gen. Leslie Groves’ War Department secretary in Washington, making this report a truly unique and valuable piece of history.
This report was first released just days after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, making it likely the very first publicly available account of the creation of the atomic bomb. These bombings brought an end to World War II, but at a terrible cost, with roughly 200,000 people killed in the two cities.
The events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been depicted in numerous movies and documentaries over the years, including Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” which has been receiving critical acclaim and is a frontrunner for Best Film at this year’s Oscars.
The opportunity to own a piece of history like this rare 1945 report is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It offers a unique insight into one of the most significant events of the 20th century and the key figures who played a role in shaping the world as we know it today.
