Black Hole Museum: A New Idea for the Los Alamos Community

 Black Hole Museum: A New Idea for the Los Alamos Community 

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