Manhattan Project photographs sell for $45,000

Photos and letters from the Manhattan Project sold for $45,000 on May 16

A collection of Manhattan Project photographs, featuring aerial shots of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, has sold for $45,000 in Massachusetts on May 16.

The moment that changed history

The Manhattan Project was the official name for the research program conducted by the United States to develop the world's first atomic bomb, which was then deployed in Japan in 1945, during the final stages of the second world war.

The photographs came to auction with impeccable provenance, having been taken from the collection of a scientist who worked on the project, and that of Fritz Goro, a prominent science photographer for LIFE magazine.

Paul Fraser Collectibles believes in the provenance of our items, that's why we provide a 120% investment guarantee on a wide selection of our stock. Investors should view our own collection of photographs from Sir Oliver Leese, a British general during the second world war.  

Comprising 650 images in total, the Manhattan Project collection also featured letters, schematics and negatives, including photographs of briefings at the project and the 1946 Bikini Atoll test. Also included were harrowing images of the Japanese surrender in 1945, which brought the war to a close.

Items which capture the moments that changed history always achieve strong results at auction. PFC Auctions has this vial of blood from the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan in its current auction, which closes May 24.

Also featuring in the sale was a rare historical daguerreotype photograph from the Massachusetts Senate Convention in 1853. The image, attributed to John Whipple, shows governor George Boutwell, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Ulysses S Grant, at the podium. The superb plate sold for $14,000, providing the second highest price in the sale.

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Images: Kaminski Auctions