At the end of World War II,
many American families rejoiced in the defeat of Nazi
Germany and the Axis powers. Others, however, were too
busy being swept up in the panic which would develop
in regard to the potential cold war between the United
States and the Soviet Union.
With the threat of a nuclear
war on the horizon, Americans looked for ways to protect
themselves from the horrible destruction. Of these,
many chose to fortress themselves inside of "bomb proof"
fallout shelters.
Fallout
shelters sprung up across the United States, with many
citizens building their own by hand and others purchasing
commercially designed and built models from catalogs.
Most looked like basic units, providing space only for
necessities (which were generally only two-week supplies)
while others looked like small guest houses, equipped
with pool tables, paintings and wine cellars.
Interest
in the fallout shelter reached its peak in the early
1960s as the Cuban Missile crisis loomed and gradually
waned in the 1970s as various treaties and agreements
by the super powers calmed American fears. The Fallout
Shelter succeeded as a comfort to much of the population
and as a money generator for an opportunistic new industry
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