Mr. And Mirs Tirpak and Their Dogs, 1947

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Title

Mr. And Mirs Tirpak and Their Dogs, 1947

Creator

Ed Westcott
American, 1922 - 2019


Ed Westcott was the official US Army photographer of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee site for the Manhattan Project. Westcott went to work for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. The following year he became the official government photographer of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in Oak Ridge. Among the first in the new secret city, Ed shot thousands of photos documenting the construction and operations, as well as the lives and times of Oak Ridgers from the beginning.

Westcott shot hundreds of exposures and processed over 5,000 prints before the war even ended. The National Archives is the repository for all of Westcott's negatives and offers an extensive collection of his photos from the period.

After the war, Westcott stayed in Oak Ridge as an employee of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), until he was transferred to AEC headquarters in 1966. Westcott retired in 1977. He passed away on March 29, 2019 at the age of 97.

Date

1947

Format

archival inkjet print

Type

photograph

Description

Even though fences remained in place and entry into the city was gained only by use of passes until 1949, an effort was made to normalize life in Oak Ridge after World War II. An example of such is seen in this photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Tirpak who are accompanied by their attentive dogs. For all intents and purposes, this image could have been recorded in the interior of a dog breeder’s home anywhere in the United States during the late-1940s; the photograph, however, was taken in Oak Ridge, showing the city’s gradual return to common American trends.

Source

United States Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Office, Photography Archives

Citation

Ed Westcott American, 1922 - 2019 Ed Westcott was the official US Army photographer of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee site for the Manhattan Project. Westcott went to work for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. The following year he became the official government photographer of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in Oak Ridge. Among the first in the new secret city, Ed shot thousands of photos documenting the construction and operations, as well as the lives and times of Oak Ridgers from the beginning. Westcott shot hundreds of exposures and processed over 5,000 prints before the war even ended. The National Archives is the repository for all of Westcott's negatives and offers an extensive collection of his photos from the period. After the war, Westcott stayed in Oak Ridge as an employee of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), until he was transferred to AEC headquarters in 1966. Westcott retired in 1977. He passed away on March 29, 2019 at the age of 97., “Mr. And Mirs Tirpak and Their Dogs, 1947,” Ewing Gallery Permanent Collection, accessed March 29, 2024, https://ewinggallery.omeka.net/items/show/111.