Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Special Exhibition

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Damage and Restoration
as Shown in Collections from Overseas

ca. October, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson
Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command Collected in 2016

Introduction
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has continuously searched,collected, and organized various materials relating to the atomic bombing
such as A-bomb artifacts, relics left behind by the victims, and photographs.
Photo materials have an important meaning to better understand the real
aspects of the atomic bombing. Besides a number of photographs that weare already aware, it is believed that many photos still exist overseas without
being unveiled; there were many foreigners who entered Hiroshima after
the atomic bombing.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has acquired photographic
data from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
in 2011 and 2012, and dispatched staff members to the U.S., U.K., and
New Zealand in 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2019 to collect photographic
materials held by various institutions and private individuals.
Acquiring materials related to the atomic bombing is one of theimportant duties of the Museum, as well as conservation, research,

exhibition, and education. As the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing
is approaching, we are faced with the aging of the remaining A-bomb
survivors. Thus, the collection, careful organization, and preservation ofmaterials which present the atomic bomb damage has become even more
important.
In this exhibition, we look back on the atomic bomb damage sufferedby Hiroshima and the restoration after the atomic bombing, with a focus
on photographic materials and witness accounts that we have collected fromoverseas in recent years.
Trying to make it clear that throughout the world are scattered many
materials relevant to the atomic bombing, we hope that this opportunity
will serve to help you to learn about the importance of collecting materials,
which plainly portray the reality of the atomic bombing.
December 2019
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum1. Before the bomb was dropped
In July 1944, Saipan, a mandated territory of Japan,
was occupied by the U.S. military. This island and otherlocations in the Mariana Islands became bases for air raids
on the mainland of Japan. From those islands, the U.S.
military’s long-range B-29 bombers first deployed that year
could reach mainland Japan without refueling.
The U.S. military had started a photo reconnaissanceand the collection of information on cities throughout
Japan on November 1, 1944, prior to the start of air raids
on mainland Japan on November 24.
Special units were organized for the atomic bombing,and a base was placed on Tinian Island, southwest of
Saipan.

1-1. Map of Hiroshima created before aerial photography
July 30, 1944 Courtesy of Map Collection, University of Chicago Library (2017)

This map was created before the start of the photo reconnaissance from the bases on
Mariana Islands. Information on military facilities and other locations is shown inEnglish, based on a map published in Hiroshima in 1933.

1-2. Image based on aerial photographs
From April to August 1945

USMC (2017)

This image of the location of military and production facilities was based on aerial photographs taken on April 13, 1945.

1-3. Enola Gay at the Northern Airfield on Tinian Island
September 2, 1945 Photo taken and donated by Kenneth L. Eidnes

NMUSAF

1-4. North Field Airfield on Tinian Island taken from the Enola Gay(2016)

This is the Enola Gay B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on
Hiroshima. The name of this aircraft came from the mother of the pilot
Paul Tibbets. This photograph was taken in color on Tinian Island ona personal basis by Technical Sergeant Kenneth L. Eidnes of the 509th
Composite Group atomic bomb unit.
2

August 26, 1945 Photo taken and donated by Kenneth L. Eidnes

NMUSAF(2016)Taking off from here, the B-29s dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima andNagasaki. A pit constructed to load the atomic bombs is visible on the left side of
the four runways. Since a note attached to the photo at the time of the donation
says that this photograph was taken by Technical Sergeant Eidnes from the Enola
Gay during a mission on August 26 after the atomic bombings, what is seen on
the upper right of the photo is supposed to be the left wing of the aircraft.

2. Large photos donated by The Stimson Center
The museum received a donation of 21 large photographs from The Stimson
Center, a research institute in the U.S. named after Henry Stimson, the Secretaryof War when the atomic bombs were dropped.
They are considered to have been used when briefing President Truman and
Secretary of War Stimson after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
High-definition images taken by HASHIMOTO Kensuke (Hiroshima City Univresity) are used.

In this box the large photos were donated.

2-1. Aerial photograph taken before the atomic bomb was dropped
Photo by U.S. Military Donated by The Stimson Center (2016)

This image, showing information on military facilities and other locations,is based on aerial photographs taken on March 28, 1945, before the atomic
bombing. The target for the bomb near Motoyasu Bridge is clearly marked.

2-2. Aerial photograph taken the day after the atomic bomb was dropped

2-3, 2-4. Aerial photographs taken after the atomic bomb was dropped

Photo by U.S. Military Donated by The Stimson Center (2016)

Photo by U.S. Military Donated by The Stimson Center (2016)

This photograph was taken on August 7, 1945, the day after the atomic bombing.
We can see that houses had burned down extensively.

These are aerial photographs of Hiroshima City that were taken on September 7,
1945, after the atomic bombing.
33. Atomic bombing
On August 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay flew from Tinian Island and dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m.
As Hiroshima suffered devastating damage, with people suffering and dying on the ground, or fleeing to the suburbs while desperate
rescue and relief activities were being carried out, the U.S. military was taking aerial photographs starting on the day the bomb was dropped
to assess the extent of the damage.

3-1. Mushroom cloud taken from the Enola Gay
August 6, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Courtesy of Library of Congress (2016)

This mushroom cloud is considered to have been taken from the Enola Gay shortly after the atomic
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The photo was newly discovered by the research conducted by themuseum. Two photographs of the mushroom cloud taken from this aircraft were previously known.

3-2. Aerial photograph taken on the day the atomic bomb was dropped
August 6, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military

NARA (2013)

After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a U.S. photoreconnaissance aircraft reached above Hiroshima at around 12:25 p.m.
In this photo, we can see the area from Hijiyama Hill to Ujina, but
the center of the city is covered by smoke.

44. Aerial photographs taken after the war
After Japan accepted an unconditional surrender and signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2, the Allied Forces were
stationed on mainland Japan.
In recent years, the museum has collected many aerial photos of the damage to Hiroshima that were taken after the Allied occupation
began. While most photos during the war were taken from directly overhead at high altitudes, after Japan’s surrender many photos weretaken at lower altitudes, and show the damage caused by the atomic bomb in greater detail.

4-1. The Funairi, Yoshijima, and Senda districts from the west

4-2. Vicinity of Hiroshima Castle and Hakushima districts

September 8, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Victor E. Blenkle

September 8, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Victor E. Blenkle

NMUSAF (2016)

NMUSAF (2016)

This photograph was taken at a low altitude. We can see that there is lessdamage on the right side (south) than the left side (north). The hypocenter of
the atomic bombing is at the back left of this photograph.

This photo was taken of the Moto-machi and Hakushima districts from thenorth at a low altitude. The upper right of the photo shows Hiroshima Castle,in which the Chugoku Regional Military Headquarters was settled. We can see
debris of the collapsed buildings scattered on the castle grounds.

4-3. Vicinity of Hiroshima Station

4-4. Looking west from near Hijiyama Hill

September 8, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Victor E. Blenkle

NMUSAF (2016)

This photo was taken from the north at a low altitude. We can see that the areain the upper left (east side) of the photograph suffered little damage. As thephotograph was taken on September 8, Taisho Bridge, which was washed awayby the Makurazaki Typhoon on September 17, is visible.

September 8, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Victor E. Blenkle

NMUSAF (2016)

This photo was taken from over Hijiyama Hill at a low altitude, facing west.
The line running vertically through the center of the image is present-day
Peace Boulevard, and the areas along both sides of the Boulevard looks whitish
as buildings were demolished before the atomic bombing.
5

Aerial photographs
taken by the U.S. military

Maximum range of shooting of camera loaded on F-13
NMUSAF (2016)

Reconnaissance from the air in the battlefield
are said to have begun with balloons in France
at the end of the 18th century. The inventionof the aircraft in the 20th century led to thesemachines being used for full-fledged military

purposes, frequently for reconnaissancepurposes from WWI.
Air raids on the Japanese mainland by the
U.S. military with B-29s based in the Marianas
started on November 24, 1944 and continued
until August 1945. As only B-29s could fly to andfrom Japan without refueling, the U.S. military
remodeled B-29s into photo reconnaissanceplanes and named them F-13s. These F-13s
took photographs before and after air raids: togather information in advance and to confirm
the damage afterward.
The first photographs were taken overTokyo on November 1 and a total of 460 suchreconnaissance missions were conducted byAugust 15, 1945. F-13s were normally equippedwith a total of six cameras of three types thatmade it possible to create detailed maps. In thiscase, these photographs were taken at a highaltitude.
As mentioned earlier, many photographs
were taken at a low altitude after Japan

4-5. Looking north from near Yoshijima
ca. October, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson

Glass window made at the bottom of F-13’s airframe for shooting
August 12, 1945 photo by U.S. Military NMUSAF (2016)

4-6. Looking east from Nakajima
NHHC (2016)

ca. October, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson

NHHC (2016)

This photo was taken at a low altitude. We can see that the closer to the
hypocenter located at the top of the photograph, the greater the damage is.
The part that looks white at the bottom of the photo is the army’s Yoshijima
Airfield that was newly landfilled during the war and then used from around1940. Parked aircrafts are visible there.

This photo was taken at a low altitude. Driftwood are piled up in theupper reaches of the T-shaped Aioi Bridge (left) which served as a target
for the atomic bombing. It seems that they were washed up here due to the
Makurazaki Typhoon that struck on September 17.

4-7. Looking south from Motomachi

4-8. Looking southwest from near Hiroshima Station

ca. October, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson

NHHC (2016)

This photo was taken at a low altitude. Ninoshima Island, Etajima Island, andNomishima Island are pictured. Ninoshima Island was home to the quarantine
station of the Japanese army at that time. With medical equipment and goods,
it served as a temporary reception center for the injured.
6

surrendered. These photographs seemed tohave been taken by the cameramen holding
their cameras in their hands through thewindows and doors of the aircraft.

ca. October, 1945 Photo by U.S. Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson

NHHC (2016)

This photo was taken at a low altitude. In addition to the central area of thecity, Minami-kan-on, Kusatsu, and even the Itsukaichi area are pictured.

Registration of “Shinshu Gakuryo”
in the A-bombed Buildings Registry

Auditorium and dormitory of Shinshu Gakuryo

ca. October 1945 Photo by US Military Donated by Mrs. John V. Peterson NHHC

4-9. Looking toward downtown Hiroshima from the northJanuary 1946 Photo taken and donated by William E. Jones

NMUSAF(2016)

This photo of the town was taken from the sky, near the train tracks of the
Sanyo Main line. Capturing a wide range, this shot makes it possible toconfirm the differences in the damage according to the distance from the
hypocenter.

4-10. Looking east from near Temma-cho
January 1946 Photo taken and donated by William E. Jones

4-11. Looking toward downtown Hiroshima from the south
NMUSAF(2016)

We can see that houses are already being built around the center to the east in
the photograph. The top of the photo is signed by Paul Tibbets, Thomas Ferebee
and Theodore Van Kirk, the pilot, bombardier and navigator of the Enola Gay
respectively. The donor said that these signatures were obtained in later years. The
red mark indicating the hypocenter and the comment pasted on the photographwere made by the donor.

William Jones
who took aerial photos of Hiroshima
after the atomic bombing

Jones giving an interview to a museum staff member
September 29, 2017 Indiana, USA(2016)On October 31, 2019, the City of Hiroshima added the “Shinshu
Gakuryo” buildings to the registry of A-bombed buildings. This is a
registry of still-existing buildings located within 5 km of the hypocenterat the time of the atomic bombing. There are 86 buildings registered.
Shinshu Gakuryo was a private school where students could
study Jodo Shinshu, a school of Buddhism. It was established in
Saikoji Temple in Saiku-machi (currently Ote-machi, Naka-ku) in 1906,
and relocated to new buildings in Minami-kan-on-machi (currently
Minami-kan-on, Nishi-ku) in 1926.
Immediately after the bombing, the site became a temporary relief
station where many injured people gathered. Afterward, the buildings
continued to be used. However, it became clear that these buildings
had not been registered as A-bombed buildings during the processof producing video testimonials of atomic bomb survivors for the
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
An aerial photograph that was taken after the end of the war,
and acquired in the U.S. during the research in 2016 was referred towhen determining the registration of the buildings to the A-Bombed
Buildings Registry. On the enlarged image “Looking southwest fromnear Hiroshima Station” on page 6, we can see the auditorium anddormitory of Shinshu Gakuryo.

January 1946 Photo taken and donated by William E. Jones

NMUSAF(2016)

This photo was taken from near the mouth of Temma-gawa River. Centering
around the hypocenter, the damaged area appears whitish.

William E. Jones was engaged inreconnaissance photography missions in theFifth Air Force in the U.S. Army Air Corps(integrated into the U.S. Air Forces in 1942and called the U.S. Air Force since 1947).
He donated aerial photographs of Hiroshimathat he took as an aerial cameraman to theSmithsonian National Air and Space Museum
and the National Museum of the UnitedStates Air Force.
Jones received orders to takephotographs over Hiroshima when he wasstationed in the airfield in Fukuoka (now,Fukuoka Airport) at the end of December
1945. He took photos over the skies ofHiroshima in January and then proceeded to
do the same in Nagasaki later.
Mr. Jones shares about his impressions
upon seeing Hiroshima as follows:

I had nothing to do with he bombing except
photographed the damage. And when I saw
the damage, it was devastating. (…) WhenI realized the deaths there, it made me verysad. I’m not proud of the fact that we bombed
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although it did end
the war.
I saw many things that I didn’t want to see.
But I saw them. And man’s inhumanity
to man. (…) I found that I could love theJapanese people like my own people. And I
wondered, “Why? Why war? Why?” I cannot
understand it.
Using the photos that he took, he had
given more than 600 lectures about his
experience to schools, U.S. state legislators,
and members of the U.S. Air Force.
74-12. Looking northeast from Dambara
ca. February 1946 Photo by U.S. MilitaryNASM

4-13. Looking south from Motomachi(2019)

NASM(2019)

This aerial photo taken from near Motomachi shows the town and the
hypocenter.

4-14. Near Yoshijima airfield

4-15. Looking north from near Funairi

ca. February 1946 Photo by U.S. Military

NASM(2019)

Photo by Ronald Vingoe

MMA(2017)

Yoshijima Airfield was constructed on a landfill site. Today this is an urban area.

This aerial photo shows Yokogawa Station and other areas to the north. The
whitish areas near what is known as Peace Boulevard today are locations wherebuildings were demolished before the atomic bombing.

4-16. Looking west from near Hijiyama Hill

4-17. Looking the burned-out ruins of Odamasa Store from Fukuya Department Store

Photo by Ronald Vingoe

MMA(2017)

This aerial photo shows the town of Hiroshima to the west. We can see houses
built along the Honkawa River on the west side of Hiroshima Castle.
8

ca. February 1946 Photo by U.S. MilitaryThis aerial photo was taken from near Dambara, facing the hypocenter. It
shows the difference in damage to buildings between the area near Hijiyama
Hill and the rest of the city.

Robert Nolan Papers

USMC (2017)

This aerial photo taken from northwest shows the steel frame of Odamasa
Store. It was distorted by the blast, and deformed by the intense heat of fire.
The Kirin Beer Hall is visible on the top left side of the image.

5. Ruins of Hiroshima
Many soldiers of the occupation forces visited Hiroshima soon after they were stationed in Japan, and many photos that were taken at thattime remain. While some were clearly taken as part of their military duties, others appear to be personal photos.
What do you suppose they were thinking when they saw the ruins of Hiroshima?

5-1. Wooden structures destroyed by the blast
November 1945

TNA (2019)5-2. Burned-out ruins of Kyobashi-cho
TNA (2019)

November 1945

This building is believed to be the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial School. In 1944,
the school relocated from Eba-machi to Minami-machi, into the building of the former
Hiroshima Prefectural Higher School of Education. The school staff and students were
injured. Facing east-northeast, the photo shows Hijiyama Hill in the background.

Facing northeast, the photo shows the Hiroshima Station building in the
background.

5-3. Looking north-northeast from Nakajima-hon-machi

5-4. Shimomura Jewelers

November 1945

TNA (2019)

In the middle of the ruins, we can see what appears to be pots on a table.

November 1945

TNA (2019)

Due to the A-bomb blast, the railing of the T-shaped Aioi Bridge, which was thetarget for the bombing, collapsed. In the foreground we can see the northern tip of
the area known as Jisenji-bana, which later became Peace Memorial Park. The photoshows Japanese inns lining along the riverside and houses being built on the ruins.

This photo was taken from behind the building, facing north-northeast.
Fukuya Department Store is visible in the background. The first floor of thisreinforced concrete building collapsed, leaving the second floor and the clock
tower.

5-5. Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church

5-6. Soldiers from India talking with Hiroshima residents in the burned-out ruins

ca. October 1945 Donated by Thomas F. Pollock

NHHC (2016)

A military man standing in front of the church was the donor. This church
was completed in 1927 and part of the building was used as a militaryuniform manufacturing factory from 1943 during the war. The chapel was
designated as a temporary shelter during air raids because of its concrete
structure. Only the steeple and the outer wall remained after the bombing.

June 1946

IMW(2019)

This photo shows the burned-out ruins of Hondori Street, which had once
bustled with shoppers visiting the many shops. Indian soldiers were stationedin Hiroshima as members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.
Facing northwest, the photo shows houses in the center background.

95-7. View of the Western Drill Ground
September 1945 Photo by Wayne Miller

NARA

5-8. Looking northwest from Nobori-cho(2009)

September 1945 Photo by Wayne Miller

This view looks northwest from the southeastern corner of the Western Drill Ground.
The parade ground in the wake of the atomic bombing was full of bodies of soldiers killed
while performing training exercises, and people with severe burns lying in agony.

NARA(2009)

This photo was taken from the streetcar road in Nobori-cho. The tree in the center appears
lopsided, perhaps as a result of the bomb blast. The photo shows the wall of Nobori-cho
Elementary School on the right and Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church next to it.

A sake cup with glass fragments picked up by Wayne Miller in Hiroshima

Donated by Jeanett Miller Collection of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The U.S. well-known photographer Wayne Miller [1918-2013] served
as a U.S. Navy photographer from 1942 to 1946. After the atomic
bombing, he came to Hiroshima in September to take photos at relief
stations and other locations. Miller picked up this sake cup from theruins of Hiroshima and brought it back home to keep with himself.

5-9. People lying on the floor
September 1945 Photo by Wayne Miller

NARA(2009)

This photo taken of the interior of a relief station shows a mother and child lying in the center.

5-10. Interior of Honkawa Elementary School, converted into a relief station

5-11. Hiroshima City Hall with a new sign in English

August 1945 Photo by KAWAMOTO Toshio (estimated)

Around autumn 1945 Photo taken and donated by F. Clay Nixon

NAS(2017)(2017)

A photo of Hiroshima City Hall. The English sign “HIROSHIMA CITY
HALL” covered the original lettering in Japanese.

5-12. Young girl standing in the ruins of the Hiroshima Gas

5-13. Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church and an overturned car

Around autumn 1945 Photo taken and donated by F. Clay Nixon

USMC(2017)A young girl is standing in the rubble of the burned-out ruins. We can see theplant’s chimney standing behind her.
10

USMC

The Honkawa Elementary School was converted into a relief station. The
research conducted by the Museum discovered this photo among photocollections that had been collected by the U.S.

Around autumn 1945 Photo taken and donated by F. Clay Nixon

USMC(2017)

This photo shows the Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church, viewed from thesouthwest. Someone with a young child on his/her back is walking between aburned-out car and the church.

6. Hypocenter
Many foreigners visited Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, including soldiers of the Occupation Forces and officials who were involvedin the occupation. Many of them came to the hypocenter. There was a sign that marked the hypocenter, and a souvenir shop nearby soldbottles and roof tiles that had been deformed by the atomic bomb.

6-1. Commemorative photo at the hypocenter
December 30, 1948 Donated by Laurence I. Hewes Jr.

6-2. Near the hypocenter
MMA(2017)

December 30, 1948 Donated by Laurence I. Hewes Jr.

MMA(2017)

Hewes worked as a GHQ employee. He took this photo during his personal
visit to Hiroshima. A sign on the steel tower that says “CENTER OF
IMPACT” is visible.

This photo near the hypocenter was taken by Mr. Hewes. His comment“Showing amazing reconstruction around center of impact” is written in thealbum with this photo.

6-3. Commemorative photo at the hypocenter

6-4. Vicinity of the hypocenterfrom December 1947 to first half of 1948

January-February 1947 Donated by Mrs. Claire Burgess Phillips

ATL(2017)

MMA(2017)

This photo of soldiers from the New Zealand Army was taken in front of
the sign at the hypocenter. The occupation of the Chugoku and Shikoku
regions was handled primarily by England and other members of the British
Commonwealth Occupation Force, as part of the Allied Forces.

This photo was taken by George V.T. Burgess, who was a member of Overseas
Consultants, Inc. (OCI) when the company visited Hiroshima for a
reparations survey of Japan.

6-5. Monument on the north side of the A-Bomb Dome

6-6. Shop of Kiyoshi Kikkawa, “Atomic bomb victim No.1”

from December 1947 to first half of 1948

ATL

(2017)

These New Zealand soldiers took a commemorative photo at a monumentthat was built in front of the A-Bomb Dome. This monument was called the“Peace Memorial Monument.” It was erected in 1947 when Emperor Showa
visited Hiroshima and remained until around 1955.

After 1951

MMA

(2017)

Kiyoshi Kikkawa, who was described in an American magazine as “Atomic
bomb victim No.1,” opened a souvenir shop near the hypocenter. Mr.
Kikkawa suffered serious burns on his back from the atomic bombing. He
would sometimes show his keloid-scarred back, when asked by customers.

11

7. Restoration
After the severe damage caused by the atomic bombing, efforts began immediately for the restoration of Hiroshima.
This section introduces photos that were taken 1, 2, and 3 years after the atomic bombing, one scene of the occupation, and theconstruction of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
The exhibit includes photos that were originally taken by a Japanese photographer and then collected by the U.S.

7-1. Aioi Bridge 1 year after the atomic bombing
August 5-7, 1946 Photo by KAWAMOTO Toshio

NAS7-2. A-Bomb Dome 1 year after the atomic bombing(2017)

NAS(2017)

The area around the A-Bomb Dome has been cleaned up to some extent, andwooden buildings can be seen nearby.

7-3. Ruins of Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine 1 year after the atomic bombing

7-4. Peace Declaration on the 1st Peace Festival

August 5-7, 1946 Photo by KAWAMOTO ToshioNAS(2017)

August 6, 1947 Photo by U.S. Military

USAHEC(2019)

People gather at the ruins of Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine for the bon dance
festival that was held one year after the atomic bombing. A Japanese drum on
top of a yagura tower is visible on the right side of the photo.

Mayor Shinzo Hamai reads the Peace Declaration during the 1st Peace Festival held near
Jisenji-no-hana, which became known as “Peace Square.” At this Peace Festival, a message
from Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, was read.

7-5. “Hiroshima Peace Song” at the 1st Peace Festival

7-6. “Hiroshima Peace Song” at the 1st Peace Festival

August 6, 1947 Photo by U.S. Military

USAHEC(2019)Musical performance and chorus singing Hiroshima Peace Song at the 1st
Hiroshima Peace Festival
12

August 5-7, 1946 Photo by KAWAMOTO Toshio

While debris from the atomic bombing still remain under the bridge, people
can be seen coming and going in their everyday clothes.

August 6, 1947 Photo by U.S. Military

USAHEC(2019)Musical performance and chorus singing Hiroshima Peace Song at the 1st
Hiroshima Peace Festival

7-7. The 1st Peace Festival
August 6, 1947 Photo by U.S. Military

7-8. The 2nd Peace Festival
USAHEC(2019)

August 6, 1948

ATL

(2017)

Parade held as part of the Peace Festival

The 2nd Hiroshima Peace Festival was held near the Nakajima Jisenji-bana.
Lieutenant General Robertson of the British Commonwealth Occupation
Force is on the platform.

7-9. “Safety Week” – A “Safety First” sign for streetcars

7-10. “Safety Week” - Releasing fliers from the sky to raise awareness

June 9-15, 1947

ATL

(2017)

June 9-15, 1947

ATL

(2017)“Safety Week” was held under the guidance of the Occupation Forces in
response to an increasing number of traffic accidents. The streetcar that has
stopped at Hatchobori in this photo has a sign that says “SAFETY FIRST” inJapanese and English, but the English spelling is incorrect.

An aircraft of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force releases flierswith information to appeal for traffic safety. This photo was taken from the
Chugoku Shimbun Building located in Hatchobori at the time.

7-11. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum under Construction (exterior)

7-12. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum under Construction (interior)ca. 1951-1955

NAS(2017)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum under construction, taken from thesouthwest.

ca. 1951-1955

NAS(2017)

Interior of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum under construction. It was
taken from the east, facing west.

13

8. Assistance from overseas: “Houses for Hiroshima” project
After the atomic bombing, a lot of assistance was extended to Hiroshima from overseas.
One such effort was the “Houses for Hiroshima” project led by Floyd Schmoe from Seattle in the U.S.
The project involved building houses for those who lost their homes due to the atomic bombing. 15 buildings for 21 families werebuilt while the project was active from 1949 to 1953. In this exhibition are photos showing the construction of these houses at the foot of
Ebasarayama Hill.

8-1. Project slogan put up at the construction site

8-2. Writing the words “WORK CAMP”

1951 Donated by Tomiko Shmoe Entrusted by the Group of Learning from Floyd Schmoe (2017)

1951 Courtesy of Jean Walkinshaw (2019)

This slogan was put up at the construction site at Ebasarayama Hill.

The words “WORK CAMP” written in the steps that were built at theEbasarayama Hill construction site.

8-3. Friends building houses together

8-4. View of the “Schmoe Houses” from Ebasarayama Hill

1951 Courtesy of Jean Walkinshaw (2019)ca. 1952 Donated by Tomiko Shmoe Entrusted by the Group of Learning from Floyd Schmoe (2017)

Jean Strong from the U.S. and Masahiro Kitagawa from Tokyo came toHiroshima to build houses. When Mr. Kitagawa met Jean, who came to thetrain station to meet him upon his arrival in Hiroshima, he truly felt that the
war was over.

This photo shows a view of the completed houses from Ebasarayama Hill.
Today, only one of these structures remains. It has been converted into an
exhibition facility called “Schmoe House.”

Schmoe House

Annex of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Floyd Schmoe [1895-2001] Donated by Brooks Andrews
August-September 1949
At the construction site in Minami-machi

Shocked by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, Floyd Schmoe, an American,
launched a project called “Houses for Hiroshima”
to build houses for those in Hiroshima who had lost
14

their homes. From 1949 and 1953, the project hadbuilt a total of 15 buildings for 21 families in various
places in Hiroshima: Minami-machi, at the foot of
Ebasarayama Hil, Eba-machi, and Ushita-machi.
A community center and houses were built also in
Nagasaki.
The onlybuilding still
existing is acommunity
house which
was built at
the foot of
Ebasarayama
Hill. In 2012, due
to the Hiroshima
Minami Road
project, thebuilding
Construction site in Minami-machi
was moved
August-September 1949
40 meters
Donated by Sumiko Yoshida Entrusted bynorthwest to the the Group of Learning from Floyd Schmoe

location where it has been preserved; in Novemberof that year it was reborn as “Schmoe House,” agallery in which to tell stories about the assistancethat Hiroshima received from overseas.
After its opening, a number of materials
related to the Schmoe House have been donated,
and it enabled the permanent exhibit on the“Houses for Hiroshima Project” to be updated in
February 2019.

Exterior of the Schmoe House

Overview of the collections fromoverseas in recent years
Since the first research survey was conductedin the U.S. in 1974 in collaboration with theHiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and theCity of Nagasaki, the Museum has explored
the Archives of the U.S. National Archives andRecords Administration (NARA) searching
mainly for photographic materials.
From FY2009 to FY2012, we acquired
photos taken by the United States Strategic

Archive boxes with materials October 2019
United States Army Heritage and Education Centercollections of the institutions and make direct
inquiries by e-mail to narrow down the numberof sites to be visited.
Collections owned by foreign institutions
include a wide variety of materials, such as
official documents prepared by government
agencies and the military forces, and personal
photos and records donated by soldiers.

Research at the National Museumof the United States Air Force December 2016

Bombing Survey through written request,
without staff members traveling to the U.S.
In 2013, the Museum dispatched staff members
to NARA to conduct surveys and collectphotographic materials.
Since 2016, the Museum has reached out
to a total of 13 institutions in the U.S. other than
NARA and collected materials. In some cases,
private individuals have also provided interviews
and relevant materials. The research andcollection of materials has also been conducted
at institutions in New Zealand in 2017, and in
the U.K. in 2019.
We refer to the online catalogs of

Photographic materials that have beencollected are organized and verified, andthose available to the public are shared in theMuseum’s “Peace Database” on the Internet.

Peace Database

http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/database

Photographs of the Atomic Bomb Damage to Nagasaki
The material collecting institutions also have many photographs that capture the atomic bomb damage suffered by Nagasaki as well as Hiroshima.

Near Mitsubishi Steel Works
September 17-19, 1945
Photo by Frederick L. Marvil Jr.
Donated by Emilie M. Marvil
NHHC (2016)

Low Altitude Photograph of the
A-bombed Downtown Nagasaki:
Looking Southca. September 1945
Donated by Thomas F. Pollock
NHHC (2016)

Low Altitude Photograph of the A-bombed Downtown Nagasaki:
Looking toward Hypocenter from the south ca. January 1946
Photo taken and donated by William E. Jones NMUSAF (2016)

Finding a “New Discovery”
from Photo Materials
A vast number of photographs are stored in
the material collecting institutions in different
countries. The media of these is varied andincludes print photographs, negative films andpositive films. We obtained these by taking
close-up shots with cameras or scanning them.
They also have lots of photographs relating
to the A-bomb damages of Hiroshima. However,in many cases these are the same photographsthat we already knew about. Therefore, weneed to compare these photographs with the
known information to see if these are newly
discovered ones.
Each institution has received materials
from different sources. All materials have beenorganized by their specialists. However, that
does not necessarily mean that information on
the shooting location, date and the name ofphotographer was properly identified for eachphotograph.

If accurate information on a photographis insufficient, we need to surmise it from what
the photograph depicts. Comparing with otherphotographs and documents that are alreadyknown, we narrow down the shooting location,
time, and so on.
Even if some descriptions remained on
the back of a print photograph, this information
may not be accurate. In such cases, we need tocomprehensively examine all information which
the photo presents to identify the photograph.
This takes a long time, but is very importantwork.

Photo taken of the briefing by the personnel involved in theatomic bombing (upper) and its back (lower)
Photo by U.S. Military Courtesy of Library of Congress
It is written that this photograph was taken at a briefing held in
Guam on August 5, 1945. However, there is no indication in
documents of such a briefing being held on that day. There is asimilar photograph of a press conference held on August 7, so wepresume that this was taken on the same day.

Almost 75 years have gone by since theatomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It
is hardly possible that a single photographor a single set of documents would reveal
a “new discovery” which overturns history
itself. Nevertheless, accurately determining
each of these photographs helps us to better
understand the damage wrought by the
A-bombing one step at a time.

15

We would like to express our gratitude to the following institutions and individuals for their cooperation
with our research and the exhibition.
１. Institutions
United States
University of California at Los Angeles Library (Los Angeles, CA)
National Air and Space Museum, Archives Division (Chantilly, VA) NASM
National Museum of American History (Washington, D.C.)
Map Collection, University of Chicago Library (Chicago, IL)
Smithsonian Institution Archives (Washington, D.C.)
Naval History and Heritage Command (Washington, D.C.) NHHC
United States Marine Corps History Division (Quantico, VA) USMC
National Academy of Science Archives (Washington, D.C.) NAS
Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.)
National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, OH) NMUSAF
National Archives and Records Administration (College Park, MD) NARA
United States Army Heritage and Education Center (Carlisle, PA) USAHEC
MacArthur Memorial Archives (Norfolk, VA) MMA
England
The National Archives (London) TNA
National Army Museum (London) NAM
Imperial War Museums (London) IWM
New ZealandAlexander Turnbull Library (Wellington) ATL
Auckland War Memorial Museum (Auckland)
２. Individuals
IIDA Kaori (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
WALKINSHAW JeanKUDO Yozo
KREPON Michael (The Stimson Center)
KUBOTA Akiko (Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University)
SCHMOE Tomiko
JONES William E.
NISHIMURA Hiroko (The Group for Learning from Floyd Schmoe)
FIELD Norma (University of Chicago)
MCGOVERN TimYOSHIMURA Ayako (University of Chicago Library)
REUSSER Kayleen

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Special Exhibition:
Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Damage and Restoration as Shown in Collections from Overseas
PeriodPlace

December 27, 2019 - Late July 2020
Special Exhibition room, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Curatorial Division, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
1-2, Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, JAPAN 730-0811