Label
Geiger Counter, 1957
Chatham Electronics
Metal, rubber, plastic
Given in Memory of Dr. O.S. Peterson, Jr., 2004.35.1ab
A Geiger counter, named after scientist Hans Geiger, is a device used to detect and measure radiation. The unit consists of two parts: a probe and the body, which has a measurement window as well as the Geiger-Muller tube, which actually registers the radiation. Geiger counters are inexpensive, easy to use, and widely available pieces of technology.
The world entered the atomic age after the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and for several decades the threat of a potential nuclear war gripped both the public and the American government. National civil defense programs produced short films, radio ads, pamphlets, posters, and other educational programs designed to educate citizens about how to act after a nuclear attack. Those decades of preparation, worry, and international diplomatic maneuvering are today known as the Cold War.
The Geiger counter in the collection of the Vermont Historical Society was used by Dr. Oscar S. Peterson, Jr. in his role as radiological officer for the State Civil Defense Agency. (The “CD” symbol on the side of the unit stands for Civil Defense.) It formed part of his personal kit, intended to detect and investigate any signs of nuclear fallout.
The Cold War was a period during which Vermonters had a complicated relationship with innovation and technology. They had to integrate both the threat of nuclear war and the fast-paced advances of modern society in their worldviews simultaneously. Few things illustrate this tension quite like a Geiger counter, which was meant to be used in a disaster scenario – but could guide the way to safety.