Raemer Schreiber's Film of the McDonald Ranch House: Trinity Site, 1945

Note: the footage begins approximately 12 seconds into the film.

In 1942, the United States Army evicted New Mexican ranching families in order to create the Alamogordo Bombing Range (today, the White Sands Missile Range). In 1944, the Bombing Range was selected as the site of the world's first nuclear test. The residence of a former ranching family was used to assemble the nuclear components of the world's first nuclear weapon. In this very rare film, you will see footage taken at this former residence, now known as the McDonald or McDonald-Schmidt Ranch House. In addition to the exterior of the house, you will see Los Alamos scientists swimming in the nearby water tank. The water was apparently so alkaline it caused rashes.

There are two particularly notable scientists in the film. The first is Raemer Schreiber, who donated this footage to the Los Alamos National Laboratory many years ago. Schreiber, who was known affectionately as "Schreib," can be seen wearing dark sunglasses in the first half of the film (at ~28 seconds) and in military uniform (wearing glasses) in the second half. In the first half of the film, you will see Louis Slotin. Slotin, a physicist who participated in the assembly of the Trinity device's pit, is seen wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt, light trousers and glasses. Slotin received a fatal dose of radiation while demonstrating an experiment at Los Alamos in May 1946. He was the second person in history to die in that manner. The first was his colleague Harry Daghlian, who also helped assemble the pit.

Special thanks is due to the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office Staff. The staff has played a part in maintaining and interpreting these historical places at WSRM for decades. If you ever visit Trinity Site, be sure and thank these wonderful folks for their efforts.

Видео Raemer Schreiber's Film of the McDonald Ranch House: Trinity Site, 1945 канала Historian Alan B. Carr