Five years after the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a decision that brought an end to World War II, an intriguing toy hit the market. It was called the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, and it had a unique mission: to educate children about atomic energy.
In the end, not much educating took place. With less than 5,000 sets sold, the Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory was a commercial failure. However, just because something doesn’t sell well doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. More than 70 years after being discontinued, the Atomic Energy Laboratory is making waves and generating cash.
“Explore the Secrets of the Atom.”
Housed in a red suitcase made of reed with a snakeskin pattern, the laboratory set included four samples of uranium-bearing ores—carnotite, autunite, torbernite, and uraninite—and an electroscope to measure the radioactivity of different materials.
“Explore the secrets of the atom,” read a message on the kit.
Uranium-bearing ores are naturally-occurring minerals that contain different amounts of uranium, a radioactive element. Uranium is used to power nuclear reactors that produce electricity. It’s also used in nuclear weapons.
In addition to radioactive elements, the Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory featured a spinthariscope, an instrument that allows individuals to watch atoms decay. It also included a cloud chamber that allowed the viewer to watch alpha particles, the matter released by certain radioactive elements, travel at 12,000 miles per second. A Geiger counter, a device that can detect radiation, topped off the set.
A Toy Made Alongside Expert Consultants
Launched in 1951, the Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory was one of the most elaborate science kits available, according to IEEE Spectrum. A.C. Gilbert, the creator of the laboratory set, stressed that it provided a real breakdown on atomic energy in his autobiography.
“There was nothing phony about our Atomic Energy laboratory,” Gilbert wrote, pointing out that his company worked with nuclear physicists and MIT to develop the set. “It was genuine, and it was also safe.”
The materials included in the set are certainly no joke. One of these was Dagwood Splits the Atom, a comic book manual that explains the basics of atomic energy. The manual includes input from Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project, and John Dunning, a physicist who led the team that verified the fission of uranium.
According to Gilbert, his laboratory set also had the backing of the U.S. government.
“We were unofficially encouraged by the government, who thought that our set would aid in public understanding of atomic energy and stress its constructive side,” Gilbert said.
The “Most Dangerous Toy in History.”
Considering what we know today, it seems crazy that the U.S. allowed the sale of toy with radioactive elements. However, as explained by IEEE Spectrum, child safety and consumer protection weren’t on the national radar in the 1950s. There were also few laws that regulated children’s toys.
In the seven decades since its debut, the Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory has frequently been called the “most dangerous toy in history.” Some experts have pushed back against this claim, though, stating that the radiation was equivalent to the UV exposure you get from spending one day in the sun.
“It really did emit very low of amounts of radiation, but I probably not encourage children to hold these [radioactive] samples next to their body all day long,” Voula Saridakis, a curator at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, told Atlas Obscura in 2019.
The End of the Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory
Although Gilbert described the laboratory set as “one of the most specular of our new educational toys,” the public didn’t agree. Experts, and Gilbert himself, say the price was the biggest barrier for most people. The Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory was priced at $50.00, which is the equivalent of about $600 today.
According to the company, unspecified "Government Restrictions" also played a role.
"We regret exceedingly to advise you that we have discontinued manufacturing this Laboratory and it was very difficult to obtain some of the materials and also due to government restrictions," an employee wrote in a letter to a customer in 1953.
A Failure That Became a Coveted Treasure
But while science toy didn’t thrive in the 1950s, it’s become a treasure over time. This week, a complete version of the set sold for $16,500 at auction.
Given that most of us will never see or play with a Gilbert Atomic Energy Laboratory, we’ll have to trust what people said about the kit in its heyday.
“It stresses the peace-time role of atomic energy,” Dr. Grace Langdon said in the Bend Bulletin in 2950. “Not a hint of the A-bomb in the whole kit.”
Images | Courtesy of RR Auction | Xataka On
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