Dino A. Brugioni collection

Dino A. Brugioni collection 

Dino Antonio Brugioni (December 16, 1921 – September 25, 2015) was a former senior official at the CIA's National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC). During World War II, Brugioni flew in 66 bombardment missions, as well a number of reconnaissance missions, over North Africa, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia and France. He received the Purple Heart, nine Air Medals and a Distinguished Unit Citation. After the war, he received BA and MA degrees in Foreign Affairs from George Washington University, and joined the CIA in March 1948 and became an expert in Soviet industries. In 1955, he was selected as a member of the cadre of the newly formed Photographic Intelligence Division that would interpret U-2, SR-71 and satellite photography. During his 35-year career, Brugioni helped establish imagery intelligence (now called geospatial intelligence) as a national asset to solve intelligence problems. In 1979, Brugioni co-authored an article with Robert G. Poirier entitled “The Holocaust Revisited: A Retrospective Analysis of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Extermination Complex” which documented their interpretation and analysis of aerial photographs of the I.G. Farben factories located near Auschwitz III (Buna/Monowitz) taken by the Mediterranean Allied Air Force in 1944-1945. Their research into the photographs revealed that in addition to capturing images of the factories, the cameras were also able to document the layout of Auschwitz II (Birkenau), including evidence of gas chambers and crematoria. Brugioni went on to author numerous other articles related to this topic, as well as the book Photo Fakery, an authoritative text on altered and contrived photography. 

Dino A. Brugioni collection