Photo taken in 1957 during America’s atomic craze. The Las Vegas showgirl known as “Miss Atomic Bomb,” finally identified 68 years later as Anna Lee Mahoney (1957 [1080×1092])

In 1957, Las Vegas photographer Don English captured an image that became an icon of the Atomic Age: a showgirl smiling in a mushroom cloud-shaped swimsuit, forever known as "Miss Atomic Bomb.” For nearly 70 years, her true identity was lost to time. Historian Robert Friedrichs spent over 20 years unraveling the mystery, scouring archives and interviewing former showgirls. His search finally revealed her name: Anna Lee Mahoney, a Bronx-born dancer who later became a mental health counselor.

Her photo, one of the most requested in Las Vegas’s image archive, symbolized the city’s nearly surreal embrace of nuclear spectacle. Where atomic blasts became both danger and entertainment. This rediscovery not only honors Mahoney’s story but also reflects how a single photograph can encapsulate an entire era of American history.

Great story in the NY Post

edit: spelling