King Juda and his family, Bikini Island
date: label: Date made
content: 1946
name: label: photographer
content: Mydans, Carl
notes: label: Description
content: Soon after the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman issued a directive to Army and Navy officials that joint testing of nuclear weapons would be necessary "to determine the effect of atomic bombs on American warships."
label: Description
content: Bikini Island was chosen to be the new nuclear proving ground for the U.S. government because of its location away from regular air and sea routes. In order for testing to get underway, the natives were removed from the island. Mydans was sent to the island to document the exodus of the people of Bikini. The story was published by <i>LIFE</i> (Mar 25, 1946).
label: Description
content: Bikini's population numbered only 160 people from 11 families before it was evacuated. It was governed by a paramount chief (whom U.S. sailors began calling "king") and <i>alaps</i> or family heads. In this picture, Chief Juda sits with his family. Clothes were optional for children but adults were taught by missionaries to wear them despite the hot weather.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Marshall Islands: Bikini & Kili, Bikini Atoll
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Photography
label: See more items in
content: Carl Mydans
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Life Magazine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0228.096
label: accession number
content: 2005.0228
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0228.096
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 in x 10 in; 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm