Brussels 1958: Atomium

The 102-metre-high Atomium was the main attraction of Expo 58 in Brussels and is considered a spectacular symbol of the nuclear age. Nine connected balls, each 18 metres in diameter, form an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it was originally intended to be demolished after the exposition’s closure.

Atomium: la nuit, black-and-white postcard, 10.4 x 15 cm, 1958, photographer unknown; image source: © Donald G. Larson Collection on International Expositions and Fairs, Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno, item number: EXP958.4pc, https://calisphere.org/item/be0b532a1c33ff61a34f19f688a59457/.