Palomar Observatory Cutaway 1947

Famed Palomar Observatory, just outside of San Diego, CA, had not yet been finished at the time this cutaway drawing was published. The drawing shows the observatory’s massive 200-inch mirror that, at that moment, was being finished at optical labs at Cal Tech, Pasadena, CA.  The disk of glass was 17 feet in diameter, and… Continue reading Palomar Observatory Cutaway 1947

Basement Bomb Shelter, 1961

In 1961, LIFE extolled the benefits of building a basement bomb shelter out of pre-cast concrete blocks. This cutaway drawing shows how the homeowner would have situated the shelter in a corner of the basement where it had no windows. The article estimated materials cost not to exceed $200.  It was estimated that radiation within… Continue reading Basement Bomb Shelter, 1961