Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki First Edition - United states strategic bombing survey - Bauman Rare Books

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Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

UNITED STATES STRATEGIC BOMBING SURVEY

Item#: 84129 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

34 STARTLING PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, WITH TWO FOLDING MAPS OF THE DEVESTATION

UNITED STATES STRATEGIC BOMBING SURVEY. The Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1946. Slim quarto, original pale blue wrappers; pp. [48].

First edition of this official report on the effects of the atomic bombing of Japan, with 34 halftone photographs of the destruction, and large folding maps of the two cities showing the extent of the conflagration.

In Hiroshima more than four square miles of the city were destroyed, over 80,000 people killed, and an equal number injured. In the smaller city of Nagasaki about one and a half square miles were destroyed, nearly 40,000 people were killed and as many injured. The Strategic Bombing Survey was originally established by the Secretary of War in 1944, on the command of late President Roosevelt, charged with conducting “an impartial and expert study of the effects of our aerial attack on Germany… and to establish a basis for evaluating the importance and potentialities of air power as an instrument of military strategy.” On August 15, 1945, six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, President Truman requested that a similar study be conducted “of all types of air attack in the war against Japan.” This is that official report. Signature of Baxter Brown on title page, quite possibly Lt. Col. Baxter Brown, Commanding Officer and Chief of Surgery at the 23d General Hospital.

Maps fine, text lightly embrowned. A fine copy. Scarce.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
Armorial Used to describe a binding bearing the coat of arms of the original owner, or with bookplates incorporating the owner’s arms.
Association Copy copy that belonged to someone connected with the author or the contents of a book.
Boards Hard front and rear covers of a bound book which are covered in cloth, leather or paper. “Original boards” refers to cardboard-like front and back boards, from about 1700 to 1840, used as temporary protection for books before their purchasers would have them bound. Of particular value to collectors as evidence of a very early form of the book.
Book-Plate Label, generally affixed to the front pastedown, identifying a book’s owner.
Broadside Sheet printed on one side, typically for public display, usually larger than folio size (a folio being a broadside-size sheet printed on both sides and folded once, to make four pages).
Calf Binding material made from cowhide—versatile, durable, usually tan or brown in color, of smooth texture with no or little apparent grain. Readily marbled (“tree calf”), mottled, diced, colored, polished, tooled in gilt or blind, even scented (known as “russia”). Reverse calf, with a distinctive suede-like texture, is occasionally used.
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Collation Process by which the contents of a book are inspected for completeness, checking against internal evidence, the table of contents and/or plate list, and reference works. Also a shorthand bibliographical description of a book’s composition by its leaves and signatures, rather than its pages. A-C, for example, would indicate a quarto volume composed of three signatures or gatherings of eight pages each for a total of 24 pages.
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Doublure Pastedowns made not of paper but of leather, for decorative purposes.
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Half Title Leaf preceding the title page that bears the book’s title, originally used to identify the unbound text block. The book’s binder would often remove and discard the half title at the time of binding. Remaining half-titles are therefore of interest to collectors.
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