Los Alamos History Museum

06/01/2020

As we start a different kind of summer, let's go #InsidetheArchives and take a look at one of Los Alamos' long-standing summer traditions: the Los Alamos County Fair and Rodeo. The Los Alamos Historical Society Archives was given a donation of a First Annual County Fair and Rodeo souvenir program from 1955.

The program details the events for August 27 and 28, 1955 including specialty acts, queen's contest, a performance from Taos Pueblo, square dance events, exhibits, and a parade. Inside the pages of the program are a variety of advertisements for Los Alamos businesses including Speer's Dept. Store, Hinkel's, Los Alamos Floral Shop, Draggon Drug, and The Pastry Shop to name just a few.

Programs like this one give us a glimpse into 1950s life in Los Alamos, giving us hints of the people who lived here and the businesses that supported the community.

What are your favorite Los Alamos County Fair and Rodeo memories or events? Do you remember some of these 1950s businesses, where they were located, or who owned them? Please share your memories with us!

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome

05/29/2020

Don't miss this discussion about Manhattan Project espionage! On Monday's History on Tap, LANL historian Alan Carr will lead a conversation about the newly-uncovered fourth wartime spy here in Los Alamos. Sign up (for free!) now.

https://www.facebook.com/events/618317075400229/

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome

05/26/2020

Quote of the Week —
Music was an important part of the life at Los Alamos Ranch School. The group that planned and performed the musical events was called Koshare after the Pueblo Indian society, popularly known as the Delight Makers. Staff members assisted as their talents allowed. One of the most enthusiastic was Arthur Chase, a young teacher from New England, who was welcomed to Los Alamos as much because of his experience in the Harvard Glee Club as for his background in English studies. Art Chase brought a contagious love for music of all kinds, from Bach chorales and English madrigals to Gilbert and Sullivan songs and cowboy ballads.
— from WHEN LOS ALAMOS WAS A RANCH SCHOOL by Fermor and Peggy Pond Church

*This quote is dedicated to Jeremy Taylor (LARS 1939-1941). As far as we know, Jeremy is one of two ranch school boys still living. He is 93 years old and still enjoys his memories of the years at Los Alamos. He remains in touch with us and proudly recalled recently that he had the highest score on the musical aptitude test given at the school when he was a student!

Caption: The young “ladies” in this photo from a performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, HMS Pinafore, are actually male students!

05/25/2020

When we explore historic buildings or landmarks we are walking in the footsteps of those who have gone before us. Let's follow those footsteps #InsidetheArchives.

109 East Palace Avenue in Santa Fe, NM is a central piece of Los Alamos’ Manhattan Project history. At this historic location, personnel coming to serve in Los Alamos were given IDs, security passes, and directed to “the Hill” by Dorothy McKibbin.

When the doorway was to be widened during a renovation the gate and crosshead were offered to the Los Alamos History Museum. This piece of history is preserved because of its donation to the Los Alamos Historical Society Archives and due to its historic significance as the gateway that Project Y personnel passed through to work in Los Alamos. The gate is currently on exhibit in the museum.

How many people have passed through the entrance to your home? How many people passed through it before you moved in? Who were those people? What are their stories?

#LosAlamosHistory #NewMexicoCulture #MuseumFromHome

05/24/2020

Chalk Walk

Take the Chalk Walk home this year! Will you create some historic art to share with our neighbors at the Fuller Lodge Art Center and the Los Alamos Arts Council?
https://losalamosartscouncil.org/chalk-walk/

#NewMexicoCulture #FindHopeLosAlamos

Join LAAC and FLAC for a Special Chalk Walk For a special treat, Los Alamos Arts Council and Fuller Lodge Art Center are presenting the annual “Sec Sandoval Chalk Walk” in May to residents of Los A…

05/22/2020

☀️ Over the holiday weekend, take an architecture walk around Los Alamos! Learn more and find more fun activities at History at Home: https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome

05/20/2020

The recipes in this book are delicious, but so are the stories! Available in our online museum shop.
losalamoshistory.org/store/

Pajarito Press Of Los Alamos Wins Prestigious Eric Hoffer Book Awards 2020 Honorable Mention

https://ladailypost.com/pajarito-press-of-los-alamos-wins-prestigious-eric-hoffer-book-awards-2020-honorable-mention/

05/20/2020

Congratulations to all the graduating Toppers! We want to give a special thank-you to Emily Holmes, our past intern and recent volunteer. She's done amazing work with exhibits and historical research, as well as helping regularly in the archive. We're proud of you, Emily!

05/19/2020

Tonight we will try something new, a Zoom lecture!

Craig martin talks about "Recovering from Wildfire: A Twenty-Year Perspective of the Cerro Grande Fire." Craig will present a virtual lecture through the Los ALamos Historical Society, tonight, Tuesday, May 19 from 7-8pm. To register, email [email protected]. https://www.losalamoshistory.org/events.html

05/18/2020

Peek #InsidetheArchives! Built in 1928, Fuller Lodge has seen a lot of history. The building itself is an artifact and all the events and people that have been through it are its provenance. Caring for historic buildings requires special cleaning supplies, monitoring for pests that might damage the structure, as well as protecting them as best we can against the elements of sun, snow, rain, and dust here in northern New Mexico.

The Lodge has been the site of the Los Alamos Historical Society Lecture series for decades, but due to restrictions on gatherings we are moving our May Cerro Grande Fire Lecture by Craig Martin online! Join us Tuesday to hear Craig’s first hand experiences with the Cerro Grande Fire, rehabilitation, and our community. Email [email protected] to join us tomorrow night.

What events have you been to in Fuller Lodge? Did you stay there when it was a hotel? What do you consider the Lodge’s role in our community history and future?

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome #NewMexicoCulture

05/18/2020

Who do YOU want to see in museums? Color this & share it with us! Happy #IMD2020 from #LosAlamosHistory

05/18/2020

Want to connect with the History Museum online on International Museum Day? Check out our History at Home activities! https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html
#IMD2020 #LosAlamosHistory

05/18/2020

Happy International Museum Day! #IMD2020 💙🏛

05/18/2020

Searching for something new to read while you are enjoying the beautiful New Mexico sunshine. Check out this book review and recommendation from former Los Alamos Historical Society executive director, Heather McClenahan.

The House at Otowi Bridge by Peggy Pond Church
How does one begin to review a book that still sells well after more than 60 years in print? The House at Otowi Bridge is a timeless classic, a story about Edith Warner, a gentle woman who lived near the Rio Grande and took care of people, from the boys at the Los Alamos Ranch School, for whom she collected the mail, to the scientists of the Manhattan Project, for whom she provided a relaxing respite and delicious meals. The author, who was friends with Edith and was known as the First Lady of New Mexican poetry, uses rich language to describe Edith’s relationships with her neighbors and with the land. The book is a must read for anyone interested in New Mexico history and the Manhattan Project.

Visit our online museum shop to purchase this title or one of many others we carry about the history and life of Los Alamos.

losalamoshistory.org/shop

05/15/2020

Los Alamos History Museum

Los Alamos History Museum

Have you visited our new online exhibit yet? https://www.losalamoshistory.org/cerrogrande This weekend, why not curate your own exhibit? 🤓 Get out that stamp collection or drawer of odds and ends and create an exhibit complete with object labels. For inspiration, check out this gerbil art museum: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/quarantined-couple-builds-gerbil-museum-entertain-their-pets-180974622/

History at Home has details on curating your own exhibit and more fun activities! https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome

05/15/2020

Quarantined Couple Builds Art Museum to Entertain Pet Gerbils

Have you visited our new online exhibit yet? https://www.losalamoshistory.org/cerrogrande This weekend, why not curate your own exhibit? 🤓 Get out that stamp collection or drawer of odds and ends and create an exhibit complete with object labels. For inspiration, check out this gerbil art museum: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/quarantined-couple-builds-gerbil-museum-entertain-their-pets-180974622/

History at Home has details on curating your own exhibit and more fun activities! https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome

The story of two bored art lovers who found a way to "a-mouse" themselves

05/13/2020

Quote of the Week —
The people from the past—with their hopes and dreams, hardships and heartbreaks—remain alive in the memories of their descendants. For newcomers, homesteaders left behind traces of their lives inscribed into the landscape. Pieces of old roads remain by virtue of their isolated locations in rugged terrain. We can still walk along old roads and trails kept open over the years. How better to reflect upon the lifestyle of those hardy people?
From HISTORIC ROADS OF LOS ALAMOS by Dorothy Hoard

05/13/2020

Time to break out the Lego! 😄

Legos With a Ranger- Los Alamos Edition

Built in 1914 by Detroit businessman Ashley Pond, the Pond cabin in Los Alamos, New Mexico was initially used as an office for Pond’s Parajito Club, a guest ranch for visitors looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. The Parajito Club was disbanded in 1916 but Ashley Pond remained, founding the Los Alamos Ranch School in 1917, a prep school for boys aged 12-17. In the 25 years of the school’s existence, more than 600 boys attended, with outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing being a key part of the curriculum.

In 1942, the United States government purchased Pond’s school and cabin and converted them and the surrounding area into Project Y of the Manhattan Project. The Pond cabin was used as a research facility for Italian scientist Emilio Segre’s plutonium experiments. These experiments led Segre and his fellow scientists to conclude that the gun-type weapon design that was used in the Little Boy uranium atomic bomb could not be applied to the plutonium bomb being developed at Los Alamos. The findings led the Project Y laboratory to instead develop the Fat Man plutonium implosion-type atomic bomb.

We encourage everyone to build their own version of Pond cabin or anything else related to Manhattan Project National Historical Park! Post your creations along with any questions or comments you have in the comments section. #FindYourPark #FindYourVirtualPark #GetCreative #LetsBuildTogether

Image 1 Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Image 2 Credit: NPS

Image 1 Caption: The Pond cabin in Los Alamos, New Mexico
Image 2 Caption: A Lego version of the Pond cabin with scientists, a ranger, kayaker, and black bear

05/11/2020

Let's go #InsidetheArchives and look at another part of how we create exhibits like Resilience and Regrowth (available online: https://www.losalamoshistory.org/cerrogrande). One of the artifacts we selected to help tell the story is a quilt made by students in Liz Martineau’s fourth grade class at Mountain Elementary School. (Liz donated it to us before she became our executive director!)

At the time, the quilt helped the students to reflect on their feelings and memories of the fire. Now, the quilt helps us tell the story of how the fire affected children who lived through it. Every object has a story and it is thanks to donors that we have those stories to tell Los Alamos’ history. An artifact without a story (provenance) is interesting to look at, but with its history it can bring a story to life.

Were you or someone you know one of the students in Liz Martineau’s fourth grade class? Do you have a Cerro Grande Fire artifact with a story?

What objects do you have that are special to you because of their history?

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumfromHome

05/09/2020

Enjoy this weekend's spring weather by taking the homestead tour! 🤠 Explore the homesteads of 17 families in the car, on your bike, or on foot. Find the map and lots more history activities on our History at Home page: https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html

In this photo, homesteader Bences Gonzales visits the site of his father-in-law's homestead with his son Ray Gonzales. 📸Los Alamos National Laboratory.

#LosAlamosHistory #MuseumFromHome #NewMexicoCulture

05/08/2020

Check out the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Facebook for some Lego fun next Wednesday! 🐻
#LosAlamosHistory

Legos With A Ranger- Los Alamos Edition

Wave hello to spring and be sure to check our page on Wednesday, May 13th as we unveil our latest installment of Legos With A Ranger! And yes, the bear will make an appearance!

#FindYourPark #FindYourVirtualPark #LetsBuildTogether #GetCreative

Image Credit: NPS

05/05/2020

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity created as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by Covid-19. We ask that you consider giving a tax-deductible gift of any size in order to help ensure the Los Alamos Historical Society can continue to share the stories and unique history of Los Alamos and its surrounding area.

https://losalamoshistory.networkforgood.com/projects/22122-everyday-giving

05/04/2020

Let's go #InsidetheArchives! The Archive and Collections provides content for our exhibits. Creating an exhibit requires lots of time and effort from our staff. The exhibit process starts with research in our document, photograph, and artifact collections to help develop the narrative of our panels. Once the narrative is developed, artifacts are selected to help support the history being told. The staff works together to select objects that tell a story or that have a story of their own. The history of our objects, or provenance, becomes very important in this process; having those histories in our records helps bring our exhibit to life.

You can see the completion of this process in our new online exhibit, Resilience and Regrowth: Twenty Years after Cerro Grande, at https://www.losalamoshistory.org/cerrogrande.

What artifacts or photographs would you choose to depict the story of the Cerro Grande Fire?

#LosAlamosHistory #NewMexicoTrue

05/03/2020

Looking for something new to read while you are home and social distancing? Check out this book review and recommendation from former Los Alamos Historical Society executive director, Heather McClenahan.

109 East Palace Avenue: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant.
Visitors often ask, “If I am going to read just one book about the Manhattan Project, what should it be?” The unequivocal answer is 109 East Palace. Written by the granddaughter of James Conant, president of Harvard University and one of the top advisors to the Manhattan Project, 109 is easy to read and packed full of good information. Conant is an excellent storyteller who, through the eyes of such luminaries as Dorothy McKibbin and Robert Oppenheimer, offers a good overall explanation of the Manhattan Project. This book has been the #1 best seller in the Los Alamos History Museum shop for more than a decade.

Visit our online museum shop to purchase this title or one of many others we carry about the history and life of Los Alamos.

losalamoshistory.org/shop

05/02/2020

Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation

Congratulations Evan!

Here is the winning video for the History prize. This is Evan, a 4th grader from Barranca. The video is "The Notorious RBG--Historical Person Project."

05/02/2020

04/30/2020

🤔Is your living room historic? Get creative and create a historical marker for that epic tent fort or commemorating the historic breakfast-for-dinner a few weeks ago. Get more ideas for historical markers and other fun projects at https://www.losalamoshistory.org/historyathome.html

#tbt #LosAlamosHistory #NewMexicoTrue

04/29/2020

Resilience and Regrowth: Twenty Years After Cerro Grande

Our newest exhibit, Resilience and Regrowth: Twenty Years After Cerro Grande is here, and it's online! https://www.losalamoshistory.org/cerrogrande

Explore photographs and artifacts, reflect on our journey of resilience, and share your stories of the Cerro Grande Fire.

Thank you to our hero sponsors of the exhibit: Century Bank, Cruiser's Custom Embroidery, Del Norte Credit Union, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Jennifer Loveless Design, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and the Los Alamos Community Foundation.

#MuseumFromHome #LosAlamosHistory #NewMexicoCulture #NewMexicoTrue

Welcome to the online exhibit of Resilience and Regrowth: Twenty Years After Cerro Grande. Explore photographs and artifacts, reflect on our journey of resilience, and share your stories of the Cerro Grande Fire.