Garbage Collection, July 1945
Title
Garbage Collection, July 1945
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.
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
1945
Format
archival inkjet print
Type
photograph
Description
Originally only intended for 12,000 residents, the Oak Ridge site of the Manhattan Project grew to 75,000 individuals by 1945. Such phenomenal growth placed high demands on the city’s support systems and infrastructures. Consequently, much hard work fell upon construction workers and laborers—such as the sanitary workers in this photograph, caught during a moment of repose.
During the Manhattan Project, blacks who lived in Oak Ridge were permitted to maintain regular employment, and their assignments often involved manual labor on construction sites or working with infrastructural units. As this photograph demonstrates, however, not all employment opportunities were made available to Black workers, for only white workers were permitted to operate heavy machinery.
During the Manhattan Project, blacks who lived in Oak Ridge were permitted to maintain regular employment, and their assignments often involved manual labor on construction sites or working with infrastructural units. As this photograph demonstrates, however, not all employment opportunities were made available to Black workers, for only white workers were permitted to operate heavy machinery.
Source
United States Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Photography Office
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., “Garbage Collection, July 1945,” Ewing Gallery Permanent Collection, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ewinggallery.omeka.net/items/show/112.