Photos reveal life at the Lab during the Manhattan Project

John "Mike" Michnovicz is the photographer behind some of the most lasting and impactful images of the Manhattan Project. In addition to shooting portraits of leaders including J. Robert Oppenheimer and Hans Bethe, Michnovicz documented technical areas and took forensic photographs of the criticality accidents that killed scientists Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin. Some of Michnovicz's images have been stored at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s National Security Research Center's archives as well as featured at the Lab's Bradbury Science Museum.

Thanks to recent work by the Los Alamos Historical Society, which the society shared with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, more information about Michnovicz's full collection of images has come to light, along with a whole new visual perspective on the secret city.

The historical society's collection houses incredible images that don't exist at the Lab, and which support the park's efforts in uncovering human stories from the Manhattan Project.

"Our team is constantly scouring photographs from the 1940s for clues on how to convey the reality of the conditions that Manhattan Project scientists worked in," said Jonathan Creel, program manager of the Lab's Manhattan Project National Historical Park. "When we can't uncover images in our collection, the Los Alamos Historical Society assists us in our search."

Trusted with sensitive work

Michnovicz came to Los Alamos in 1944 as part of the Army Specialized Training Program. Like many other enlisted men at the time, he was an SED, or a member of the Special Engineering Detachment.

Although he had studied physics and engineering, he became a key member of the Lab's photo documentary group and ended up taking thousands of pictures of scientists, support staff, their families and special events both behind and in front of the fence — including the British Mission party of 1945 and the iconic moment when Enrico Fermi met pottery artist Maria Martinez at a Pueblo de San Ildefonso gathering.

Michnovicz was not yet 25 years old when he was asked to document the lethal effects of radiation exposure on Daghlian and Slotin after their criticality accidents. He photographed their injuries as they progressed, as well as their autopsy photos. The historical society has a letter in its possession from Dr. Louis Hempelmann recognizing Michnovicz for his sensitivity and professionalism in photographing Daghlian.

Writing to John Keller, Michnovicz's division leader, Hempelmann stated: "His manner in dealing with the patient and the doctors was both discrete and pleasant. He showed good soldierly qualities in his coolness under pressure and in the dispatch and courtesy with which he did the job."

In a 1994 oral history interview with the historical society, Michnovicz said: "My relationship with Hemplemann was one that was very comfortable. He had confidence that I could document the kinds of things he needed from a medical standpoint, so therefore I photographed the progress of the difficulties that these two fellows had … not realizing at that time the gravity of what was happening."

He added, "Years later, I could reflect back and say that I did have some first-hand experiences with two individuals who were severely affected by radiation and then my imagination then could continue on with what power there was with this result of the Manhattan Project."

Michnovicz's photos of Daghlian and Slotin are among the many "behind-the-fence" images that have long been held by the NSRC as products of the photo documentary group's work. But the full Michnovicz collection tells a larger story about life in Los Alamos during and immediately after the Manhattan Project years.

A wider lens on the secret city

"The wide amount of vernacular photography that he took while he was here really showcases how the residents of Los Alamos built a sense of normalcy in an isolated, high-pressure environment," said historical society archivist Katy Jones-Gulsby. "It's a unique viewpoint for the Project and the life here."

In addition to being a photographer, Michnovicz was a skilled accordion player and performed in three different bands. (He also donated his accordion to the historical society in 2005.)

"He got to mingle socially with a lot of the higher-level officers and scientists because they wanted him to photograph their events, and also to play music," Jones-Gulsby added.

Whether he was taking pictures or playing the accordion in these settings — often both — he became well-acquainted with not just the officers and scientists but also their families. Michnovicz also turned his lens on Lab workers up and down the social ladder, including assistants and janitors.

Although his only prior photography experience was for his school yearbook, Michnovicz developed an obvious talent for capturing both lighthearted and serious moments in his subjects' lives. His collection makes the residents of Los Alamos look like those of any small town in the 1940s.

Uncovering the full scope of the Michnovicz collection

The Michnovicz estate donated all his remaining photos and their negatives to the historical society in 2016, about 10 years after his death. Antonia Gibson, his eldest daughter, organized the photo archive into a series of binders and sat down with her father before he died to discuss the photos one by one, recording their conversations.

"We are so incredibly lucky to have his voice and his words describing almost the entire collection," Jones-Gulsby said.

In 2024, the NSRC partnered with the historical society and the Bradbury Science Museum to create an exhibit on the photographers of the Manhattan Project, which included pictures both of and by Michnovicz. In the process, the NSRC was able to cross-reference images in its archives with those that Gibson had provided to the historical society — successfully identifying several Michnovicz photos that had previously been uncredited.

"It's always great when we can partner with other institutions, as all the different perspectives make for a fuller picture in the end – no pun intended," said NSRC historian Madeline Whitacre, who reviewed both sets of photos while preparing the 2024 exhibit.

"Part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park's mandate is to assist community partners in preserving and protecting historically significant resources associated with the Manhattan Project — and that spirit of collaboration definitely goes both ways," Creel added. "We're lucky to have such willing partners both within the Lab and in the community that share that same passion."

Thirteen fine-art-style prints from the historical society's Michnovicz collection — most of which have never been seen by the public — are on display at the Los Alamos History Museum, now through 2026.

Developed by Visions Photo Lab in Santa Fe, in the same style Michnovicz would have developed them, the 13 prints on display show "another side of the project life," Jones-Gulsby said; one that was less about science and secrets and more about community. "They worked hard and they played hard. They blew off steam. Mike was really great at capturing that."