A “Miss Atomic Bomb” (1957)
Museum collaborated with professional detectives to confirm the true identity of the cloud dancer Mushroom, who “captured the imagination of a generation and became a global symbol of the atomic era.”
For more than two decades, the identity of the model behind the iconic photography “Miss atomic bomb” From 1957 it was a mystery, but after 25 years of investigation, the atomic museum revealed the true identity of the woman who emerges so happy in the famous photography.
Although much if he believed the model was a woman named Lee Merlin, the extensive investigation proved that “Lee Merlin” was an stage name and that the woman behind the image was actually a Bronx dancer, New York, called Anna Lee Mahoney. He worked in Las Vegas at the time of photography and it was she who posed in a bikini for photographer Don English at the Sands Hotel, where she worked, “decorated” with the design of a cloud in mushroom, symbolizing atomic tests a few kilometers away, in the Nevada Desert.
Became a Cultural icon in the USAa personification of optimism, fear and fascination that surrounded the atomic energy and the age of the Cold War. The story of the famous photography dates back to a time when Las Vegas was at the center of atomic tourism. In the 1950s, the US government was conducting nuclear tests in the Nevada Desert with Las Vegas, which was little concerned with the dangers of these tests.
Las Vegas played a vibrant and unique role in the atomic era and “Miss Atomic Bomb” has always been a symbol of colorful history of that time, ”said Joseph Kent, assistant director and curator of the Atomic Museum.
Os entrepreneurs have capitalized atomic tests And they gave tourists the opportunity to watch the explosions at a safe distance. As a result, images with atomic theme, including mushroom-shaped cloud symbols, have become highly popular, recalls.
During this period, Don English, a photographer who worked for Las Vegas News Bureau, decided to capture an image that reflected the unique spirit of the time. He asked the local dancer to be his model for a photo shoot, during which, creatively, he tied cotton to his bath to resemble a cloud of mushroom. The model, as you can see in the photo, posed with your arms raised and a cheerful smile.
The photograph would be published on May 24, 1957 and would become one of the most striking images of the atomic era.
A “Miss Atomic Bomb” (1957)
“Miss atomic bomb” captured the imagination of a generation and became a global symbol of the atomic era, “said historian and researcher Robert Friedrichs in a statement from the atomic museum:” Putting a name and a story on his face is now a tribute to the lasting cultural legacy of this extraordinary time in history. “
The discovery of his identity was the authorship of Friedrichswho with the help with a professional detective agency located the social security number associated with both names – Lee Merlin and Anna Lee Mahoney – linking the mysterious woman to her true identity.
The information was later confirmed with Mahoney’s birth records and conversation with living family members, who said Anna Lee had formed in Ballet and Modern Dance under the guidance of Madame Bronislava Nijinska and moved to “City of Sin” in the mid -1950s to perform at Sands Hotel.
Mahoney married five years after the photo shoot and moved to Hawaii, where he worked as a mental health counselor. In the 1990s, he went to California and worked for Cabrillo College Foundation, raising funds for scholarships. He died in 2001, a victim of cancer.
The Atomic Museum, in collaboration with the Las Vegas archives, will inaugurate a special exhibition dedicated to the discovery of its identity.
