Excerpt:
The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945. This is the first time the films have ever been edited for declassification and public release. (Portions of some of these films were previously released.)
Annotation:
This fascinating site includes clips from more than 70 recently declassified nuclear weapons test films from the Department of Energy and Department of Defense archives. The films, originally recorded for public information, training, and data analysis purposes, document the history and development of nuclear weapons from the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in Southeast New Mexico in 1945 through the early 1970s. The site offers a series of short sample clips for each film and copies of the full-length films can be ordered through the site. Each film is accompanied by a 500-750-word description and contextualization of its contents. The films are listed in numerical groups, making the site somewhat complicated to navigate, though a keyword search engine and table of contents are available. This site is ideal for those studying the history of the American nuclear weapons program and weapons technology.