Date taken: 1953
Photographer: Yale Joel







Very interesting history Chuck!Chuck Lutz wrote:After repeated A-Bomb tests in the New Mexico desert, the Manhattan Project board wanted to assess the level of fallout across America but could not simply ask Americans to collect radioactive material from their own homes so the Dept of Defense sought a solution. Thus the Great American Vacuum Roundup began. From Alaska to Alabama and from California to Canada and all points in between, housewives from all across the country answered the call and emptied their vacuum bags on September 1st and did not dump the contents until September 30th when the US Army, the US Army Reserve, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts set up collection points in towns and cities across this country.
The contents of each of the vacuum bags was sent to Oak Ridge, Tennessee for analysis to determine the amount of harmful radiation that had fallen in the area where each sample was collected from. The cover for this operation which was determined would have completely freaked out not only housewives but their family if the actual purpose of the collections was known meant that a cover-up was needed for the operation.
The public was informed that a smelting factory at an undisclosed location had been using a new process that had some initial problems and that several thousand tons of gold had been released as a particulate into the atmosphere. While it posed no health risks to anyone, it was determined that the particles would bond with common dust and as such could be collected by a common household vacuum. Those housewives who turned in their vacuum contents were promised 50% of any gold found would be returned to them and no public announcement would be made to protect those who did "strike it rich"....
And lawsuits!wjohn wrote:Imagine if that was done today, the outcry!!!
Ah ah ah, this is one of the most hilarious stories I've ever heard in my life !Chuck Lutz wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2011 6:55 pmAfter repeated A-Bomb tests in the New Mexico desert, the Manhattan Project board wanted to assess the level of fallout across America but could not simply ask Americans to collect radioactive material from their own homes so the Dept of Defense sought a solution. Thus the Great American Vacuum Roundup began. From Alaska to Alabama and from California to Canada and all points in between, housewives from all across the country answered the call and emptied their vacuum bags on September 1st and did not dump the contents until September 30th when the US Army, the US Army Reserve, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts set up collection points in towns and cities across this country.
The contents of each of the vacuum bags was sent to Oak Ridge, Tennessee for analysis to determine the amount of harmful radiation that had fallen in the area where each sample was collected from. The cover for this operation which was determined would have completely freaked out not only housewives but their family if the actual purpose of the collections was known meant that a cover-up was needed for the operation.
The public was informed that a smelting factory at an undisclosed location had been using a new process that had some initial problems and that several thousand tons of gold had been released as a particulate into the atmosphere. While it posed no health risks to anyone, it was determined that the particles would bond with common dust and as such could be collected by a common household vacuum. Those housewives who turned in their vacuum contents were promised 50% of any gold found would be returned to them and no public announcement would be made to protect those who did "strike it rich"....
THE SAME MODEL LEWYT VACUUM CLEANER CHOSEN FOR THIS VALUABLE RESEARCH PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE LEWYT'S ABILITY TO PICK UP EVEN EMBEDDED DIRT OR DUST IS AVAILABLE TO YOU NOW AT GAUMONT BROS.(Reprinted from The Lowell September 9lh)
"X" Factor Search in Littleton
Seek Find Potential Threat of Dust
LITTLETON, Sept. 9 (INS)
--An army of housewives, doctors, chemists and industrialists today launched "Operation Paydust" in the village of Littleton.
The living rooms of every house were vacuumed lo help medical science discover the potential danger of dust.
Under the direction of the allergy department of Boston's Peter Bent Brigham hospital, hags of dust were collected to undergo spectrochemical
analysis.
Scientists hoped to track down the unknown "X" factor contained in household dust.
This factor is believed to be related to respiratory and infectious diseases.
Doctors in Littleton prepared detailed medical histories of each family participating In the dust collection In order to correlate the individual dust findings to the health record of each person.
More than 100 vacuum machines, equipped with micro-dust filters to capture the most minute dust particles, were provided by a Brooklyn, N. Y., manufacturer.
Littleton was chosen for the dust research project because it is a typical small town community with working factories and established local customs, and also because it Is geographically close to the great medical research center of Boston.
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