Ed Grothus in front of the Black Hole. Courtesy photo

Some of the items collected and sold by Ed Grothus from the Black Hole. Courtesy photo

BY KEVIN HOLSAPPLE
Los Alamos

The Black Hole (aka the Los Alamos Sales Company) was a unique store and attraction for many years in Los Alamos that displayed an assortment of items procured by Ed Grothus, who was a Los Alamos National Laboratory machinist in the late 1940s. Grothus left LANL and became an outspoken anti-nuclear activist who operated the Black Hole, a business that collected and sold salvaged surplus equipment from the Laboratory that he felt could be repurposed for a peaceful re-use.

For many years, the Black Hole was a noted visitor destination in Los Alamos County drawing visitors from around the world. Janire Najera, an accomplished documentary photographer and multimedia artist worked with Ed in his later years to tell the story of the Black Hole. Her works include the book “Atomic Ed (2019),” a short film, and an exhibit featuring original photographs, letters, documents, and essays. The exhibit has been shown in Cardiff, Wales, and Logrono, Spain. These items offer insights into the history of the nuclear weapons program in Los Alamos and the legacy of Ed Grothus’ activism. The body of work contributes to the understanding of the controversy inherent in the nuclear weapons program and the history of Los Alamos. Since Grothus’ death, these items have been curated and maintained by Janire.

There has recently been interest in bringing Najera’s Black Hole collection back to Los Alamos
to be displayed in a newly created “Black Hole Museum.” Ideally, the museum would be displayed within a structure with sealed display windows, such as a surplus shipping container.
Or, the museum could be displayed within an existing, underutilized structure, such as the
incinerator building at the Los Alamos Airport near the Terminal. This location is also ideal for making the Los Alamos airport a tourist destination within the aviation community.

The museum would be sealed and self-service, meaning that visitors would be able to walk up and access the exhibits without the need for a guide. This would allow the public to view the collection unattended (similar to the Marfa, TX “Prada” museum), while minimizing the maintenance costs. The exhibits would be designed to tell the story of Black Hole in a visually engaging way, using artifacts, photographs, and interactive displays. Iconic items such as the Black Hole sign could be used to create a facade feature that would be the subject of selfies similar to the Los Alamos Main Gate replica at East Park. The museum level could feature a number of interactive displays that would allow visitors to interact with the story of Black Hole in a more hands-on way. These displays could include games, puzzles, and virtual reality experiences accessed using smartphone technology.

The possibilities could be expanded beyond those proposed here. If you are interested in participating in this opportunity, or would like to provide input, please contact: Kevin Holsapple – Placesandspacesla@gmail.com Or follow/like https://www.facebook.com/placesandspacesLA