Documents tracing the discovery of the atomic bomb, including a letter signed by Robert Oppenheimer, are being auctioned in the United States, at a time when blockbusters of the same name are competing for Oscars.
Christopher Nolan’s portrait of the father of the atomic bomb has received 13 Oscar nominations and is almost certain to win several awards in Hollywood on Sunday.
The three-hour feature film traces the history of the arms race that led to the scientific discovery that ended World War II.
Among the items up for auction in Boston is a document tracing the secret creation of the atomic bomb at the Los Alamos laboratory in New Mexico.
Titled the “Smith Report,” the text was first released to the press on August 12, 1945, just days after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed 140,000 and 74,000 people, respectively.
“These documents provide an overview of the scientific and administrative journey that led to the creation of one of humanity’s most formidable weapons,” says auction house RR Auction House.
Among its signatories are Robert Oppenheimer, but also Enrico Fermi, famous for building the first nuclear reactor, Ernest Lawrence, Nobel laureate and inventor of the cyclotron particle accelerator, or even James Chadwick, who discovered the neutron, notes the house at auction.
Current bids for the document were over $35,000 on Saturday. The sale is scheduled to close on Wednesday.
Another document for sale: a typed letter by Robert Oppenheimer in which he describes his invention as a “weapon for attackers.”
“Elements of surprise and terror are as intrinsic (to the bomb) as disruptive cores,” he wrote to a journalist working on the Russian nuclear arsenal.
According to Bobby Livingston, vice president of RR Auctions, “a letter of truly remarkable content, in which Oppenheimer shows extraordinary foresight regarding the future use of the atomic bomb.” More than $4,000 was bid for this document.
Published March 9 at 6:31 pm, AFP
