Robert Friedrichs, a retired professor, was pondering one issue for 25 years: Who was the woman who took the most famous photo in Las Vegas’s history? The enigmatic showgirl in a 1957 commercial image quickly became a cherished representation of atomic-age America. She just went by the level name” Lee A. Merlin” and was possed in a mushroom-shaped swimsuit with her arms extended against the desert of the Nevadas.
A town built on “nuclear hospitality.”
The classic image was created during a special time in American history, when the display of nuclear power between 1951 and 1992 attracted the attention of the public. In 1957, Las Vegas attempted to capitalize on the trend by sending in a photographer to produce a “nuclear tourism” special ad. Vacation that is focused on nuclear history is known as nuclear tourism, where visitors can visit nuclear check sites, reactors, and associated museums to experience and learn about the Nuclear era. As the plain erupted behind her, the photographer captured the model in a soft, mushroom-shaped swimsuit that resembled a radioactive cloud, wearing high heels and a smiling face. It became one of the most popular photos, defining what led to Las Vegas ‘ rise as a city of fiction and scene. Little was known about the woman in the photo.
The quest’s beginning
When the Atomic Museum was getting ready to start in Las Vegas, Friedrichs began looking for the woman in 2000. He hoped to attend the great opening meeting where Miss Atomic Bomb will be located as a founding member. What started out as a basic curiosity turned into a lifelong obsession. His exploration drew from stacks of binder with clues and potential prospects. He interrogated past strippers who had previously confirmed the phase name” Lee A. Merlin” and contacted the original photographer, Don English. However, the person’s real personality remained obscure, with brings drying up and times turning into years. The discovery occurred unanticipated next winter. An audience representative sent Friedrichs an article the day after he gave a presentation about his research at the Atomic Museum. One thing immediately struck me: the dying woman was once the Sands Hotel’s direct dancer. Anna Lee Mahoney was her brand.
Anna Lee Mahoney, who was she?
Born on August 14, 1927, in the Bronx, Mahoney studied dance in New York before going on stage as a performer under the moniker” Lee A. Merlin.” She had joined the renowned Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in 1957 as the result performer. Mahoney reinvented herself as a mental health consultant after 30 years of service in the field. She eventually immigrated to Hawaii, got married, and lived quietly until 2001 in Santa Cruz, California, when she passed away from cancer.
More than just a photo
The Miss Atomic Bomb photo went beyond its initial marketing purpose to serve as a memorial. For Friedrichs, resolving the secret was more important than just piqueing one’s interest. He explained that the missing brand was a historic space and that he wanted to correct it. He compared it to knowing one was the first US leader but forgetting their name. It’s something I hoped may be finished in my life, the author says. The Atomic Museum will host a momentary display that will showcase his decades-long research, honoring both Anna Lee Mahoney’s living and the determined writer who refused to let her tale vanish from the history of space.
