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"Don't Sit Under the Mushroom"
Fantastic original map of Greater Seattle showing evacuation routes to be taken away from the city in case of an attack by a hydrogen bomb. The map shows a 13-mile radius from the center of Seattle, with red routes emanating outwards to show the best escape paths. They lead to certain "reception areas," at which residents are advised to stop if it appears safe to do so.
The verso provides further context for the work. It describes the possible dangers of a hydrogen bomb attack and advises as to how to escape the city. The map suggests that there will be a one to two-hour warning, in which residents on the outskirts of Seattle should have enough time to flee. The text tells residents to flee town, driving the wrong way on highways if necessary, with everyone north of Madison Street fleeing north, and everyone south fleeing south or east across the floating bridge. The dangers of fall-out are described, and instructions for evacuating schools are provided. An inset map shows evacuation routes for the downtown area, which are omitted on the front.
This map was produced in 1955, six years after the first Russian atomic bomb test in 1949. By 1952, the US would assemble a fusion bomb, and the Soviets would match this discovery by 1955. This would cause widespread fear in American cities of an impending attack and bring the Cold War to a new level.
This work was apparently mailed to residents throughout the Seattle area. This one is addressed to Shinzo Nomura.
![[ Yakima Valley ]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/96619.jpg)
