Pigs and Atomic Testing: Operation Plumbbob

I've been obsessed with atomic testing since our trip to the Nevada Test Site (tour info here) back in March. I've finally tracked down some of the pig-related aspects of atomic testing. For today, here are stills from the film documenting 1957s Operation Plumbbob, which used pigs to gauge the effects of both atomic blast and radiation. This image comes from the on-line version of the U.S. National Library of Medicine exhibition "Animals as Cold Warriors: Missiles, Medicine and Man's Best Friend," which you can find here. I highly recommend a look, especially for the images, such as the 1952 advertisement sponsored by a pharmaceutical company headlined "We must thank animals if good comes from the atomic bomb." The image of a Lassie-like collie under the mushroom cloud is priceless.