ILEA002144190: Central part of the city reduced to ashes as seen from Kyobashi Bridge

Wrecked Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall (now the A-bomb Dome) and Aioi Bridge

The wrecked Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall (right) and Aioi Bridge (left), which was the target of the atomic bomb. The wreckage of Japanese Red Cross Society Hiroshima Branch's building can be seen between the Industrial Promotion Hall and the bridge. The ruined Industrial Promotion Hall became known as the “A-bomb Dome" after the war. Yoshito Matsushige, who took this photograph, recalled, "I think it was the first. (Distance from hypocenter 150meters) Photo taken in September 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Police officer writing out victim certificates

Tokuo Fujita, then 28, a police officer from the Ujina Police Station, surrounded by victims, is writing out victim certificates for survivors in front of the Hiroshima District Monopoly Bureau, located on the east side of Miyuki Bridge. The desk was placed on the south side of the "Minami-machi 3-chome" streetcar stop (now called "Minami-machi 6-chome"). Mr. Fujita, who had just finished working the night shift, experienced the atomic bombing at the police station about 4.7 kilometers from the hypocenter. His forehead was cut by broken window glass, but he rushed to the police box on the west side of Miyuki Bridge and helped injured citizens and students. (Distance from hypocenter 2400 meters.) Photo taken in September 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Devastation at the west end of Miyuki Bridge (Close-up)

People suffering burns received dabs of transformer oil brought from the nearby Hiroshima Electric Railway. The girl in the foreground, wearing a sailorstyle uniform with a triangular collar, and the girl to her left were second-year students at Hiroshima Girls' Commercial School (then 13 years old) who experienced the atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Postal Savings Bureau in Senda-machi 1-chome, where they were mobilized to work, but survived. The boy second to the right of the police officer from the Ujina Police Station was a first-year student at Hiroshima Municipal Junior High School (then 12 years old) who experienced the atomic bombing in Koami-cho (now part of Naka Ward), where he was helping to demolish buildings to create fire lanes. It is believed he was on his way to his home in Danbarasuehiro-cho (now Danbara in Minami Ward), where he lived with his parents. He went missing and his remains were never found. (Distance from hypocenter 2200 meters.) Photo taken in August 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Barbershop with the window frame blown off

A barbershop in Midori-machi (now Nishimidori-machi in Minami Ward) destroyed by the blast, with the window frame blown off and the interior, including mirrors, shattered. It was the home-cum-shop of Yoshito Matsushige, a photographer who took this picture. The barbershop was run by his younger sister and her husband, and Sumie, Matsushige's then 29-year-old wife, who appears in the scene, helped them with the business. Sumie was pregnant at the time and gave birth to their second daughter the following year. His eldest daughter and parents were evacuated to Omishima Island in Ehime Prefecture at the time. (Distance from hypocenter 2800 meters.) Photo taken in August 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Devastation at the west end of Miyuki Bridge (Panoramic view)

At the west end of Miyuki Bridge, 2.2 kilometers southeast of the hypocenter. A police officer from the Ujina Police Station had begun to administer first aid by applying oil stored in the station to the wounds of the injured men and women of all ages who had taken refuge there. Men and women collapsed or squatting, a woman holding a baby, female students receiving first aid, and a police officer are captured in the photo. The railings on the lower river side (left side) of the bridge had been blown into the river. The building on the left is the Senda-machi Police Box of the Ujina Police Station, and the building in the back is Hiroshima Technical Institute. Miyuki Bridge, connecting Senda-machi and Minami-machi, is one of the major bridges in Hiroshima City, on which streetcars also run. (Distance from hypocenter 2200 meters.) Photo taken in August 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images

Collapsed Minami Branch of Nishi Fire Station

The view from the destroyed window of the home-cum-barbershop looking east. The Minami Branch of the Nishi Fire Station, a two-story wooden structure, collapsed in the blast and was reduced to rubble. A man in a national defense uniform walks toward Miyuki Bridge along the street on which ran the Ujina Line streetcars. (Distance from hypocenter 2800 meters.) Photo taken in August 1945, by Yoshito Matsushige, Chugoku Shimbun. **Editorial use only, Commercial use not possible**, Credit: Chugoku Shimbun/Kyodo News Images