11 Facts About Berlyn Brixner

Berlyn Brixner was the head photographer for the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in July 1945.

Berlyn Brixner was born in El Paso, Texas on May 21,1911.

Berlyn Brixner's mother had graduated from Western New Mexico University in 1898 and taught school in various small southern New Mexico communities.

Berlyn Brixner's father was a power systems engineer for a mining company, and had worked in Chile, Mexico and the Fanny Mine in Mogollon, New Mexico until the Army commandeered its boxcar-size generators at the beginning of World War II turning Mogollon into a ghost town.

In 1936, Berlyn Brixner worked as a regional photographer with the Soil Conservation Service at its four-state headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Berlyn Brixner's two daughters, Annette was born on 1942 and and Kathleen was born on 1943 and were born in Albuquerque.

Berlyn Brixner was assigned to shoot movies in 16-millimeter black-and-white film, from every angle and distance and at every available speed, of an unknown event beginning with the brightest flash ever produced on Earth.

Berlyn Brixner died peacefully in Albuquerque on August 1,2009.

Berlyn Brixner's papers are archived at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Berlyn Brixner authored or co-authored over 45 papers describing major developments in camera engineering, optical instrumentation and fabrication techniques.

Berlyn Brixner received the DuPont gold medal from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and the Robert Gordon Memorial Award from the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.