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.
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.