News Release
601 Eubank Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123
(505) 245-2137 Fax: (505) 242-4537
For Release: Immediately
Contact: Jeanette Miller, 505-245-2137 ext. 102; 507-9426
Authors Share Knowledge of Life in Atomic City
Albuquerque, NM -- Authors Sharon Snyder and Toni Michnovicz Gibson will present the story of
“Project Y,” also known as the Manhattan Project, at the National Museum of Nuclear Science &
History on Sunday, April 15. The lecture will take place at 2 p.m. and will feature a question-andanswer session with Manhattan Project veteran Mary Lou Michnovicz.
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.
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