The Nagasaki Photographs of Robert Mottola

Robert Mottola at the opening of the exhibit.

The Katonah (NY)Village Library has an exhibition now called "Forget Nagasaki: Tiny Photos of Mass Destruction." They come from 92-year-old Robert Mottola. As a 17-year old seaman on the U.S. Navy minesweeper Speed, Mottola came into possession of a Japanese camera with film in it. The exhibit shows photos he took in Nagasaki after the nuclear bomb devastated the city in August 1945, shortly before the Japanese surrender.

The exhibit, on through February 14, shows the 45 photos he took with the camera, scenes of twisted buildings, civilians and life on board the Speed. Headphones enable listeners to hear Mottola narrate his stories, such as shooting down a Kamikaze attacking his ship, living on beer and bread on the Speed as food supplies ran low, and hanging Christmas trees in the riggings of the Speed. Some of the photos are streaked, showing the impact of radiation.

Mottola says during the narration, "Each of the photos was more precious than the one that came before it."

The overall impact is sombering, life and death seen from a distance of almost 75 years.