Los Alamos Revisited: A Workers’ History

6" x 9" soft cover
by Peter Malmgren and Kay Matthews
Photos by Peter Malmgren
Historical photos from Los Alamos Laboratory Archives
Kelly Pasholk, designer

Los Alamos Revisited: A Workers’ History is the culmination of an oral history begun in 2000 called “Los Alamos Revisited,” which told the story of the creation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory from the point of view of the people who helped build it. The historical record is filled with accounts from scientists and pundits, but the voices of the technicians, engineers, trades people, and many others remained silent. The project recognized this as a significant gap in 20th century New Mexico history and thought it was worth trying to fill. Little did I know when I raised my hand to volunteer for this oral history project that it would lead to five years of intensive investigation and inquiry. (150 interviews were collected, transcribed and placed in the New Mexico State Records and Archives.) My only regret is that it’s taken me so very long to fulfill a promise to complete this book; many of the subjects, dear friends, have died. They all live on in my heart and will hopefully touch the lives of those who choose to hear their stories. — Peter Malmgren

Peter Malmgren is a cabinet maker and oral historian. He came to Chimayó, New Mexico in 1971 and stayed.

Kay Matthews is a freelance journalist and editor of La Jicarita, an on-line journal of environmental politics.