Vault of the Atomic Space Age is a perfect portal to a time dominated by the specter or nuclear war and space travel.
In every era, there are a few momentous events that reshape art, culture, and life as we know it. In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we're likely living through one right now.
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For those in the late 40s and early 50s, that event was WWII and the atomic bomb.
The atomic age as well as space exploration (notably the formation of NASA) changed the things people bought, the way they decorated their homes, and the art they consumed. It even gave way to its own period of design.
"Atomic Age in design refers to the period roughly corresponding to 1940–1963, when concerns about nuclear war dominated Western society during the Cold War."
Wikipedia
Seattle's space needle is a product of Atomic Age design.
While it's hard to encapsulate just how wild some of the artwork and architecture birthed in that area was, Vault of the Atomic Space Age, a blog that compiles images and illustrations from that uncertain period in modern history, comes pretty close.w
The blog is a database for everything Atomic Age, including advertisements, public service posters, renderings, and interior design.
It also highlights the divide between fear over potential nuclear Armageddon and a promising new future for humankind, aided by technology and space travel.
On one hand, technology and manufacturing was booming.
On the other, people were terrified of being annihilated by a nuclear bomb.
Vault of the Atomic Space Age also offers some pretty fascinating insights into where people saw the world heading.
While some predictions weren't far off...
Others were maybe a little exaggerated.
Mostly, Vault of the Atomic Space Age is just a pretty captivating visual catalog of a momentous, creative, and death-defying period of American history and culture.
