Seattle Civil Defense Manual

Generally the only kind of material I like to put on our website is content that we have created ourselves, whether that be stories, photographs, or whatever. However, I have decided to make an exception for this content, on account of the fact that it is a WORLDWIDE INTERNET EXCLUSIVE!!!

The pictures featured below are scans of a publication released in 1951 by American Radio Publications, Inc. through the local AM talk radio station KVI. The Seattle Civil Defense Manual covers all sorts of important and useful information that all local citizens apparently needed to know in order to survive in the harrowing times known as the fifties. A copy was unearthed by an industrious and awesome coworker of mine as he cleaned out his garage. He loaned it to me for a weekend and gave me permission to scan it and put it online.

I’m sure there would be nearly no end to the clever commentary I could provide to go along with this material, but I have decided to let the publication speak for itself. Please note that the contents of this publication should not be construed as reflecting (positively or negatively) on the present-day KVI, since they most likely have little connection (outside of the name) to the KVI of 1951.

Click on a page to open a new window with the full version. The full-size scans are somewhat large, so horizontal and vertical scrolling will probably be necessary. Alternatively, you may download the full manual for later viewing. High resolution, non-watermarked TIFF files are also available upon request.

Front Cover
"SEATTLE CIVIL DEFENSE MANUAL"
KVI’s Staff And Facilities Are Dedicated To The Public Defense
"KVI'S STAFF AND FACILITIES ARE DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC DEFENSE""KVI'S STAFF AND FACILITIES ARE DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC DEFENSE"
KVI – Don Lee Programs Dedicated To The Public Welfare And Necessity
"KVI - DON LEE PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE AND NECESSITY""KVI - DON LEE PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE AND NECESSITY"
The Seattle Area Prepares For An Atomic Attack
"THE SEATTLE AREA PREPARES FOR AN ATOMIC ATTACK""THE SEATTLE AREA PREPARES FOR AN ATOMIC ATTACK"
Civil Defense Provides Maximum Protection On The Home Front
"CIVIL DEFENSE PROVIDES MAXIMUM PROTECTION ON THE HOME FRONT""CIVIL DEFENSE PROVIDES MAXIMUM PROTECTION ON THE HOME FRONT"
Atom Bombs Could Destroy These…
"ATOM BOMBS COULD DESTROY THESE...""ATOM BOMBS COULD DESTROY THESE..."
The Mighty Atom Bomb!
"THE MIGHTY ATOM BOMB!""THE MIGHTY ATOM BOMB!"
Damage Effects Of An Atom Bomb Explosion
"DAMAGE EFFECTS OF AN ATOM BOMB EXPLOSION""DAMAGE EFFECTS OF AN ATOM BOMB EXPLOSION"
Advance Precautions May Save Your Life
"ADVANCE PRECAUTIONS MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE""ADVANCE PRECAUTIONS MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE"
What To Do
"WHAT TO DO (IF BOMB FALLS WITHOUT WARNING)""WHAT TO DO (IF YOU HAVE ADVANCE WARNING)"
Personal Injury Effects Of An Atomic Blast
"PERSONAL INJURY EFFECTS OF AN ATOMIC BLAST""PERSONAL INJURY EFFECTS OF AN ATOMIC BLAST"
Subversive Organizations In The U.S.
"SUBVERSIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE U.S.""ENEMIES FROM WITHIN"
No City Is Safe From Atom Attack
"NO CITY IS SAFE FROM ATOM ATTACK"

One Comment

    Chase Roper

    I was going through some junk from my dad’s garage and found this exact manual. It’s sitting next to me as I type this. I found it disturbing at first but now appreciate its hilarity. I especially enjoyed reading the list of subversive organizations and useful tools to have around in case you’re bombed.

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