Atomic

"Atomic Safety Matches, supplied to PO Eng Trading Manila P.I. by Hong Kong Match Factory, manufacturers." For other atomic ephemera, take a look over on Flickr to see Fire and Air Raid Signals / Survival Secrets for "A" Bombing and The Original Canned Radiation, Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania .

"Super Atomic Brand. Supercharged Flashlight Crackers. Super size, super report, super power, super flash. Made in Portuguese Macau. Lay on ground, light fuse, get away quickly."

Scary instructions for surviving an atomic bomb blast that were distributed to residents of Lawn , Pennsylvania, in the 1950s. Fire & Air Raid Signals for Lawn and Vicinity Fire: 1 sharp blast for 4 minutes. Air Raid Test Alert: 3 short sharp blasts (not used in case of actual road). Air Raid Alert: 3-minute continuous fluctuating blasts. All Clear: 3 1-minute blasts at 2-minute intervals. 6 Survival Secrets for "A" Bombing 1. Try to get shielded. If you have time, get down in basement or subway. If out-of-doors, seek shelter alongside a building. 2. Drop flat on ground or floor. To keep from being tossed about and to lessen the chance of being struck by falling and flying objects. 3. Bury your face in your arms. To protect your face from flash burns. 4. Don't rush outside after a bombing. Wait at least 1 hour for radiation to die down. 5. Avoid food or water in open containers. To avoid radioactive poisoning, stick to canned or bottled food. 6. Don't start rumors. A single rumor might touch off a panic that could cause human casualties. Compliments of Harold's Insurance Agency. Complete insurance service. Campbelltown, Pa. Harold S. Patrick, agent.

"How to Use Your Atomic Espresso Coffee Maker. British Made." Cover of the instruction booklet for an Atomic coffee machine , which was designed by Giordano Robbiati of Milan, Italy, in 1946. The title of this booklet sounds like a question to me: "How to use your Atomic Espresso Coffee Maker?" My answer would be the same for any kind of atomic device: "Very carefully, of course!"

"Scotch 'n Soda presents Molecule Man: An Atomic-Zany Musical Satire, 1949, 7th annual production." Cover of a wonderfully illustrated program for a college musical staged in 1949 by the Scotch 'n Soda Club , a student theatrical organization that's still in existence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The ticket order form (see below) for the show described the production as "a witty satire on comic book writers, [set] against a background of sparkling music."

Ticket order form for a college musical staged in 1949 by the Scotch 'n Soda Club , a student theatrical organization that's still in existence today at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. See below for the illustration from the cover of the program for Molecule Man. Excerpts from the text of the order form: Molecule Man, written by Bill Putch and Dick Riebling, directed by Talbot Pearson. * Scotch 'n Soda Club invites you to attend its 1949 stage production, Molecule Man--an exciting change of pace in college musicals. * A cast of over 100 presents a witty satire on comic book writers, against a background of sparkling music. * It's something new--and different! Don't miss it!

Although "TMI" simply means " too much information " to most of us, residents of central Pennsylvania also use it to refer to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station , a nuclear power plant situated on an island in the Susquehanna River that's three miles downriver from the borough of Middletown and twelve miles from the city of Harrisburg, the state capital. Thirty-five years ago--on March 28, 1979--one of TMI's two nuclear reactors experienced a partial nuclear meltdown , which the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission still calls the "most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history." The partial meltdown resulted in a release of radioactive materials, and pregnant women and young children living within a 20-mile radius of the plant were advised to evacuate the area. It took several days until plant operators were certain that the situation was under control. Gary and the Outriders, a local music group, recorded an original song, "Goodbye T.M.I. (The Ballad of Three Mile Island)," and released it as a 45 rpm record. Its catchy melody contrasts with its dire refrain: "Goodbye, goodbye to your life, T.M.I." To hear the song, check it out on YouTube: Gary & The Outriders - Goodbye T.M.I. (1979) . For another musical reaction to the TMI accident, see the cover of the record album, Potter County Was Made by the Hand of God But the Devil Made Three Mile Island , on Flickr.

Kids, It's Here! The New Mystery Atomic-Jet Flying Saucer. Watch it sail way up in the air--you can make it fly higher than a tall building. It will do five airplane stunts, too. Get several of them--and have flying saucer contests! Even dads go crazy over it. Be the first in your neighborhood and amaze your friends. Atomic-Jet Flying Saucers and extra flying wheels on sale at ________.

Oh no, Harry has an atom bomb in his closet! That's what we're told on the back cover (see below) of The Smuggled Atom Bomb , a 1951 novel by Philip Wylie . The front cover (above) warns us about "an atomic plot against America" and poses the question, "Is the fate of America ticking away?"

The back cover (above) of The Smuggled Atom Bomb (see below for the front cover ). Here's the dramatic back-cover blurb that sets the scene: The fate of America is ticking away. Your friend Harry is above suspicion--you think. He's an everyday Joe--likable, respectable, good at bridge, average with the women. He wouldn't hurt a fly--you think. Yet in his room is a closet. On the closet door is a lock. You're a sucker for gadgets and so, just for a gag, you jimmy it. Inside is a box--heavy, lined with lead. And inside that-- IS AN ATOM BOMB!