With the United States Congress soon to consider a vote on the creation of a Manhattan Project National Historical Park, the events of 1943–1945 in Los Alamos and the people who developed the bombs that ended World War II are taking their place in U.S. history. Awareness of the place and of the unique group of people, whose average age was only 25, is increases each time historic photos are shared and remaining veterans tell their stories.
Sharon Snyder is the author of At Home on the Slopes of Mountains, a recently published biography of New Mexico poet and author Peggy Pond Church. She has also recently coauthored, with Toni Michnovicz Gibson, Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau, a title in the Images of America series produced by Arcadia Publishing.
Snyder is a historian interested in northern New Mexico history, focusing particularly on the Los Alamos area. She serves on the board of directors of the Los Alamos Historical Society and is their publications director. In addition to historical research, she enjoys leading tours to frontier historical sites near Watrous and Las Vegas, New Mexico, and has recently volunteered with Cornerstones of Santa Fe on a preservation project in Tiptonville, a historic site on the Santa Fe Trail. Snyder earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and a master’s from New Mexico Tech.
Toni Michnovicz Gibson grew up in Albuquerque as the oldest daughter of Manhattan Project photographer, John “Mike” Michnovicz. She archived her dad’s collection of approximately 1,000 photos and documents and spent hours with him recording his recollections and memories of that time. The result was her first Arcadia book, Los Alamos 1944-1947, which her dad saw one week before he passed away. She combined this interest with Snyder’s knowledge of early Los Alamos days and the two of them collaborated on this new comprehensive look at Los Alamos history.
There is no additional fee, beyond the usual admission fee, to attend the lecture. Admission to the Museum is $8 for adults.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is located at 601 Eubank SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the entrance to the Sandia Science & Technology Park. The Museum is a not-for-profit organization. It was chartered by Congress in 1991 to serve as a repository and steward of nuclear-related historical items and is a Smithsonian affiliate. The Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 361 days a year. The Museum’s website is www.nuclearmuseum.org and the phone number is 505-245-2137.