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The Cold War's ghostly radio broadcasts

A photographer attempts to track down the shortwave transmission sites that are mysteriously still in operation

Picture of Lauren Hansen
by Lauren Hansen
September 25, 2017
HM01 Spectogram

"HM01 Spectogram," from Shadows of State.

Spectograms are the visual representation of sound, in this case the sound of a shortwave radio transmission.

RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus

"RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus," from Shadows of State.

An aerial view of a transmission site in Cyprus, composited out of satellite imagery.

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Spectrum 7, waiting

"Spectrum 7, waiting," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)

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Shoal Bay, Australia

"Shoal Bay, Australia," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)Once he collected enough information on a transmission site, he used satellite maps for visual clues. "A transmitter site that is very highly secured, for example, with double lin

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V07 Spanish Lady

"V07 Spanish Lady," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)

Falenty, Poland

"Falenty, Poland," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)Two years after beginning his deep dive, Bush has launched a crowdfunding campaign to publish a visual collection of his findings. The resulting Shadows of State (Brave Books) fee

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S28 The Buzzer

"S28 The Buzzer," from Shadows of State.

"The Buzzer" can be found on the radio frequency 4625 kHz, which is still in operation.

Warrenton, Virginia

"Warrenton, Virginia," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)"I hope [the viewer] will understand just how subjective and slippery photographs of all sorts are," he said."I hope these images are haunting — both haunting as a reminder of a p

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Shadows of State

Shadows of State (Brave Books)**For more information about Shadows of State, or to contribute to the campaign, check out Lewis Bush's KickStarter page.**

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V07 Spanish Lady

"V07 Spanish Lady," from Shadows of State.

(Lewis Bush)

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