Basement Bomb Shelter, 1961

Basement Bomb Shelter, 1961
Basement Bomb Shelter, 1961

In 1961, LIFE extolled the benefits of building a basement bomb shelter out of pre-cast concrete blocks.

This cutaway drawing shows how the homeowner would have situated the shelter in a corner of the basement where it had no windows.

The article estimated materials cost not to exceed $200.  It was estimated that radiation within the shelter would be about 1% of radiation outside.

As a final warning, the article mentioned that, should the nuclear warhead hit within 10-15 miles of you, the house might be blown down onto the shelter and catch fire.

Source: LIFE Sep 15, 1961

By Lee Wallender

Deception, influence, fakes, illusions, themed environments, simulations, secret places, secret infrastructure, imagined places, dreamscapes, movie sets and props, evasions, camouflage, studio backlots, miniatures.

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