‘New’ Hiroshima photos actually old Kanto Earthquake photos

Remember the “new” Hiroshima atomic bombing photos that various news sites and blogs reported about last week? Sean L. Malloy, the history professor who publicized the images while promoting the release of his new book, has removed them from his website:

Since making these photographs publicly available, I have received reliable proof that several of these photos are actually of the 1923 Kanto earthquake. While I cannot speak for the entire collection, this evidence raises grave doubts about all of the photos and strongly suggests that the identification provided by the Hoover Archives is incorrect. I take full responsibility for my own failure to take additional steps to verify that the original archival designation was correct. I have removed the photographs, sent a correction to my publisher, and forwarded all evidence that I have received casting doubt on the photos directly to the Hoover Archives so that they can conduct their own investigation.

More information about the photo mishap can be found at Frog in a Well and the International Herald Tribune.