Radioactive Fallout Can Reach Your Farm
Designer
Designer Unknown
Printer
U.S. Government Printing Office
Date1960
Dimensions17 1/2 x 14 1/4 in. (44.5 x 36.2 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.9085
DescriptionIn the aftermath of World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union developed arsenals of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that could be fired from the heartlands of their respective countries, targeting major cities and military bases on enemy territory. These missiles had average ranges of up to 8,700 miles and could be quickly deployed from underground silos in rural locations, reaching their targets within 35 minutes. Such sites still exist in the United States in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. This Civil Defense poster reminds rural citizens that even though they live outside of major cities, they are still in danger from nuclear fallout. While ICBMs were capable of destroying everything within a 50-mile radius of their targets, areas hundreds of miles away from a blast zone would experience secondary effects, including firestorms and elevated neutron and gamma rays that would poison the atmosphere and kill all forms of life.On View
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