William Burton Papers

The William Burton Papers document Dr. Burton’s participation in the Radiological Safety Section during the 1946 atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll and his subsequent presentation and documentation of the medical and radiological effects of atomic weapons. The collection consists primarily of handwritten notes, typescripts, and glass slides of photographs, graphs, and diagrams relating to radiation detection and measurement, atomic bomb testing, radiation injuries, and the effects of ionizing radiation on humans and animals.

The collection includes Dr. Barton’s handwritten notes and typescript presentations concerning his experiences during the Bikini tests, including “The Radiologist at Bikini,” notes on the Radiological Safety Section, and notes concerning radioactive contamination following the Baker test. These materials describe the preparation and training of radiological monitors; radiation detection and measurement equipment, including Geiger counters and film badges; water and environmental sampling; radio-controlled boats and drone aircraft; monitoring and surveying operations; and procedures for controlling access to contaminated vessels. Materials also document the preparation and assembly of the atomic bomb at Eniwetok and the Able and Baker tests at Bikini Atoll.

A substantial portion of the collection consists of glass slides documenting the Bikini atomic tests. Images include the sinking and damage of vessels such as USS Saratoga, USS Independence, USS Pennsylvania, USS Skate, and USS Nevada; aerial and underwater test blasts; ship-position diagrams; radioactive contamination; and the use of drone aircraft and radio-control equipment. The collection also contains one photograph documenting Bikini Atoll and its inhabitants prior to the relocation associated with the tests.

The collection further documents the medical effects of radiation exposure through glass slides of atomic bomb survivors and experimental animals, as well as medical graphs, charts, and diagrams. These materials depict or document conditions including alopecia, petechial hemorrhaging, leukopenia, radiation sickness, tissue damage, and other injuries associated with radiation exposure. Animal studies include photographs of guinea pig, goat, and swine specimens and charts concerning radiation dosage and survival.

Also present are materials concerning the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, including a September 1946 typescript summarizing medical observations of radiation effects attributed to Shields Warren, James S. P. Beck, and William A. Meissner. Related presentation materials include slide lists and images apparently intended to accompany Dr. Burton's talks on atomic bomb effects and the Bikini tests.