After the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Yoshito Matsushige is believed to be the only photographer who took any pictures that survived. He set out in an attempt to get to his newspaper office with 24 exposures. Out of those 24 exposures, he was only able to take seven pictures, of those seven, five turned out. Because his darkroom and all other darkrooms he had access to had been destroyed, he processed the film outdoors that night, using an irradiated creek for his water supply.
I just recently learned about Mr. Yoshito Matsushige through a brief mention on a History Channel program about the atom bomb. You can read some of his testimony about that day here.
This last image is of a shadow burned into stairs.
Another article.
Is there a reason you only put up four of the five?
I’ve never heard of him before now. What an amazing burden to have…I wonder who else took pictures that we’ll never see.
Thanks for posting them.
I couldn’t find the fith one. Most places only display the first and second one. I saw one other photo that was credited to him, but I don’t know for sure if it was taken on the day of the bomb, so I left it off.
If you read interviews with him he comments on seeing other photographers who were not taking pictures because they were mentally unable. Considering the culture and the shock of the event it is amazing he was capable of taking seven shots.
I can’t imagine functioning on that level…or I think I might *only* function on that level. Seems like he was pretty in control. I would’ve either taken no pictures or I would have done nothing but take pictures. I think one side of my brain would have shut down and I would have just let the other take over.