Nuclear weapons are renowned for their destructive powers and were developed in utter secrecy in order to decisively end World War II.

Conducted at top secret facilities spread over thousands of square miles, the Manhattan Project built laboratories, reactors, test sites, and storage vaults to gather and assemble the materials needed for the Bomb.

Tens of thousands of scientists, engineers and laborers were needed, so entire communities were relocated to ensure that the outside world never learned what was going on at places like Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Hanford, Washington.

Chosen for their isolation, these sites were cloaked in secrecy. Even today, more than 60 years after Japan's surrender, most people know very little about how the Manhattan Project worked, the sheer scale of the undertaking, or just how much ingenuity was required.

Thankfully, Environmental Graffiti has assembled a really amazing photographic and historical survey of the now-abandoned sites which hosted much of the Manhattan Project's heavy-lifting.

Take a taste below and get your fill here.