The explosion of the “gadget” at Trinity in July 1945 ushered in the Atomic Age.

One of the most dramatic events in human history, Trinity is vividly recalled by those who witnessed it, even more than 60 years later. It is also the basis for a spectacular new opera, Doctor Atomic, some of which was researched at the Los Alamos Historical Museum and Archives as well as the Oppenheimer House.

For this newsletter, the Historical Society is pleased to bring together the stories of two people who saw Trinity along with some unique insights into Doctor Atomic.

We begin with reminiscences by two men who were at the Trinity test, Ralph and William Nobles. Ralph, a member of John Manley’s physics group, worked on the Manhattan Project from Chicago through its completion. Brother William worked in Emilio Segre’s radioactivity group, setting up instrumentation to gather data from the explosion. Both men share their impressions of that tense night.

Then we have a review by Art Freed, a generous, long-time member of the Historical Society, who has seen Doctor Atomic performed in San Francisco, Chicago, Amsterdam, and the latest performance by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He shares his thoughts on this thoroughly modern opera.

Finally, we have some ideas on Dr. Atomic by Becky Shankland, written after she viewed a film entitled Wonders Are Many on the making of the opera.

We hope this diverse series of writings will help you reflect on the events of Trinity and what they mean to humankind.