BGuthrie Photos: DC -- International Spy Museum -- 3. School for Spies

DC -- International Spy Museum -- 3. School for Spies:

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 3.144.93.73 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SPYSCH_141026_008.JPG: Step Behind the Curtain: Welcome to a world of shadows. Here, you will learn the true ways of a large unseen craft. These are not storybook tales or Hollywood inventions. They are the serious -- often deadly serious -- tools of the spy trade. The skills you will discover are timeless, shared by spies of every land, every period in history. Learn them as if your life depended on it. Because it may.
2. SPYSCH_141026_012.JPG: Tricks of the Trade
3. SPYSCH_141026_022.JPG: Living Your Cover: Living Your Cover Story: "You must know your cover story thoroughly," begins The Manual on Personal Disguise, drafted the The US Office of Strategic Services in 1944. "Know the character or characters you will have to be, inside and out -- their clothes, facial expressions, gait, gestures, personal habits, thoughts, and reactions." When suspicious guards check your identity, your life depends on remembering who you are.
4. SPYSCH_141026_024.JPG: Observe & Analyze: Balancing Observation and Analysis: "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact," noted Sherlock Holmes. For spies -- as for detectives -- it's not just what you see that matters... it's what you make of it. Agents must be alert to suspicious activity, subtle signals from contacts, dead drops (prearranged place to leave and pick up material), and surveillance systems that might give them away.
5. SPYSCH_141026_027.JPG: Observe & Analyze: Suspicious Activity: Spies must be able to recognize suspicious activity. What looks like normal behavior may be a cover for something else.
6. SPYSCH_141026_033.JPG: Threat Analysis: Gauging the Threat: "Know your enemy," advised the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu in The Art of War. Survival may depend on assessing threats. Be alert to hostile surveillance, enemy agency watching you. Be wary of security systems that might expose your presence. And be on the lookout for unexpected risk when an unlucky break -- a chance encounter or unexpected situation -- poses danger.
7. SPYSCH_141026_036.JPG: Observe & Analyze Surveillance Systems Understanding and avoiding surveillance systems are important skills for a spy. Whether trying to enter a secure area or simply avoid being seen, a spy must know what to look for.
8. SPYSCH_141026_040.JPG: Observe & Analyze: Dead Drops: A dead drop is a prearranged location where spies and their contacts can lave or pick up items like documents, film or money. The term dead drop also refers to the container used to conceal and protect these items. Dead drops are usually located in isolated areas and include identifiable landmarks such as a numbered telephone pole.
9. SPYSCH_141026_044.JPG: Use of Disguise: Using Disguise to Hide (or Create) Identity: "Never use a disguise except as a last resort -- but when you do, play it for all it's worth," advises a 1944 US government spy manual. Makeup can make the young look old or transform women into men. A new way of talking, a change of gait or garments ... all are vital tools of deception. And deception is a vital tool of the spy.
10. SPYSCH_141026_047.JPG: Observe & Analyze: Signals: Signals are predetermined signs that let spies know about new or completed operations. A signal can be a mark on an object or an item placed somewhere. Signals are usually left at agreed-upon locations called signal sites.
11. SPYSCH_141026_054.JPG: Test Your Spy Skills: Nerves of steel. Open eyes. Insatiable curiosity. Sealed lips. Quick wits. Do you have what it takes to become a master spy? You'll soon see. Most schools give tests at the end of their term. We begin with tests -- an entrance exam. Spies must master four basic skills: the ability to observe a scene accurately, to blend in with the crowd, to assess risks, and to respond to threats swiftly and coolly. You'll soon find out if you measure up.
12. SPYSCH_141026_057.JPG: The Unstoppable Spy: No barrier can bar the agents nicknamed "Ninja." No security deflects their prying eyes. Part cat burglar, part Houdini, these are the spies who infiltrate enemy strongholds, pick locks, and employ the gee-whiz wizardry and high tech tools on espionage's front line. The paradox is that Ninja have a high profile in popular culture, yet their specialty is remaining invisible, operating below the radar. Slipping through sewers or scaling walls, their task is to enter, investigate, and exit... unseen.
13. SPYSCH_141026_072.JPG: Pandora's Box: This regulation mailbox was previously located at the corner of 37th and R Streets in Georgetown. Its proximity to the Soviet/Russian compound at Mt. Alto made it an excellent signal site, and so it was used by Aldrich Ames to communicate with his Soviet handlers. While appearing to be innocently placing mail in the box, Ames would quickly swipe a chalk mark on the left side, signaling that he was planning to leave stolen US documents at a predetermined dead drop location for his Soviet handlers. There were so many marks on the box, that neighbors used to call and complain.
14. SPYSCH_141026_075.JPG: Lock Pick Kit: CIA, 1970s This easily concealed kit holds an assortment of lock picking tools. Such kits were issued only to trained specialists.
15. SPYSCH_141026_082.JPG: Lock Pit Kit Concealed in Pen US Intelligence, 1970s
16. SPYSCH_141026_089.JPG: Key Pattern Device: US Intelligence, 1960 An agent could copy a pilfered key by adjusting the device's feelers until they matched the pattern of the key's teeth. The pattern could then be copied onto a new key.
17. SPYSCH_141026_094.JPG: Training Padlocks: Soviet Intelligence Intelligence agencies use cutaways of different types of locks to help trainees learn the art of lock picking.
18. SPYSCH_141026_098.JPG: Key Casting and Pocket Putty Kits: CIA, 1960s These kits allowed agents to duplicate keys by first making an impression of a key in the putty, then casting a model.
19. SPYSCH_141026_105.JPG: Classic Spy Camera: For 50 years, the Minox was the essential spy camera. It could take 50 pictures without reloading, and its high resolution lens captured a remarkable amount of detail. John Walker, a US naval officer who ran a KGB spy ring in the 1970s, used a Minox camera to document American military secrets. The camera is still made today, though not as widely used as it was during the Cold War.
20. SPYSCH_141026_109.JPG: Hairbrush Concealment for Minox Camera HVA, 1960s-1970s
21. SPYSCH_141026_114.JPG: Shh! Someone's Listening: Spy agencies have developed scores of ingenious devices to eavesdrop on enemy conversations. Tiny microphone-transmitter combinations may be concealed almost anywhere -- in a telephone, book, desk drawer, or belt buckle. A skilled agent selects the right device to suit a particular place or to pick up certain sounds. With digital technology, modern bugs are more compact than ever, often as thin as a human hair!
22. SPYSCH_141026_116.JPG: The plastic tube on this bug allows it to be installed deep within the wall, making it difficult to detect.
23. SPYSCH_141026_120.JPG: Satellite Surveillance: Is anyone watching? Instinctively, you probably looked left and right to check. Did you look up? Thousands of feet overhead, satellites have you under surveillance. Trained analysts interpret these satellite images, using color, shape, shadow, and surrounding features to discern minute detail. On an empty street, surrounded by dark buildings, you can't see anyone watching. BUt they can see you.
24. SPYSCH_141026_123.JPG: Got the Time? At first glance it's a stylish wristwatch. But look again -- it's really a miniature camera. An agent would carefully aim the camera while pretending to check the time -- no easy feat since there was no viewfinder. Pressing a button on the watch snapped the photo. The Steineck, a product of post-war Germany, was especially good for photographing secret meetings, private conversations, and other close encounters. Its film disk, about an inch across, could produce eight exposures.
25. SPYSCH_141026_125.JPG: Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera Germany, circa 1949 This cleverly disguised subminiature camera allowed an agent to take photographs while pretending to check his or her watch.
26. SPYSCH_141026_133.JPG: Camera on a Roll: Secret agents in the 1960s often needed to photograph classified documents such as blueprints or military instructions. They may have had only a few minutes to copy the documents before their activities were discovered. For these tasks they may have used a specially designed "rollover" camera. These cameras worked by rolling over document pages and transferring the image to film.
27. SPYSCH_141026_136.JPG: Rollover Camera GRU, 1967 This document camera (Codename: Nicrom) could copy up to 40 pages onto a single film cassette.
28. SPYSCH_141026_141.JPG: Got a Light? The Swiss crafted their Tessina cameras with the same precision as their finest watches. This tiny model contains almost 400 parts, including ruby chips to reduce friction and wear. The Tessina fit into a cigarette pack, which was modified with small holes on the side to align with the camera lens. A spy could grab a real cigarette, also stored in the case, and at the same time secretly photograph an office or other area.
29. SPYSCH_141026_143.JPG: Tessina Camera and Cigarette Case Concealment Stasi, 1960s The Tessina camera was easily concealed in a modified cigarette pack. Tiny holes on the side of the pack aligned with the camera lens.
30. SPYSCH_141026_155.JPG: Smile for the Button: Codename: Ajax refers to the hidden camera concealed in this ordinary looking coat. The lens, tucked behind the right middle button, is perfectly positioned for capturing the images of unsuspecting people. To take a picture, the wearer of the coat would squeeze a shutter cable hidden in the coat pocket. Squeezing the cable caused the take button to open and snap a picture.
31. SPYSCH_141026_157.JPG: Buttonhole Camera, Model F-21: KGB, circa 1970 The F-21 was one of several buttonhole cameras widely used in the Soviet Union, Europe, and North America.
32. SPYSCH_141026_164.JPG: Hidden Cameras: If you don't want to get caught stealing secrets, it helps to disguise your tools of the trade. In the Soviet Union, KGB spies used miniature cameras disguised as cigarette lights -- a logical choice since many agents were smokers. For nonsmoking agents, the technical staff devised a fountain pen camera to carry instead.
33. SPYSCH_141026_169.JPG: Fountain Pen Camera: CIA, late 1970s The fountain pen was one of three concealments designed for a Tropel camera. The others were key chain and a cigarette lighter.
34. SPYSCH_141026_178.JPG: East German Surveillance Camera Stasi, 1980s This Czechoslovakian-designed 16-mm camera, combined with a German Robot TI-340 lens, enabled Stasi agents to photograph targets through pre-positioned pinholes places in walls, typically either in a bedroom or sitting area.
35. SPYSCH_141026_196.JPG: Tree Stump Bug: In the early 1970s, US intelligence placed a bug in a wooded area near Moscow to eavesdrop on radar and communications signals of a nearby Soviet missile system. The intercepted signals were stored and then transmitted to a satellite passing overhead, for retransmission to a ground site in the US. The device was concealed in an artificial tree stump, camouflaged in a cluster of trees and tall grass. The top of the trees stump appeared to be opaque, but was actually transparent. It allowed enough sunlight through to charge the device's solar batteries. The KGB eventually discovered the bug.
36. SPYSCH_141026_198.JPG: Audio Survellance: Planting Bugs
37. SPYSCH_141026_200.JPG: Introduction: Planting a bug can be as simple as placing a camouflaged object on a bookshelf, or as complex as orchestrating a sophisticated operation involving a large team of specialists and months or years of planning. Audio surveillance operations require expertise in electronics, mechanical devices, architecture, and human behavior. Over the years, some ingenious schemes have been devised for planting and concealing bugs.
38. SPYSCH_141026_210.JPG: Drain Pipe Bug: This bug was designed to automatically run a connecting wire from the bug to a remote listening post. It was concealed in a section of pipe used to drain rainwater from the roof of the newly constructed Soviet Embassy in Washington, DC. A US intelligence agency installed the drain pipe while the Embassy was under construction in the early 1980s. After the building was completed, technicians sent a radio signal to the bug, which set off a tiny explosive burst and released a small parachute into the drain shaft. A spool of wire was attached to the parachute. The first time it rained, water rushing through the pipe carried the parachute, along with the wire, through the building and into an underground sewer system. A technician retrieved the parachute and connected the wire to the listening post. Vibro-Acoustic Microphone: In 1976, Soviet technicians discovered a microphone ("bug") in the Soviet Trade Consulate in London. The British device was clipped to a piece of steel reinforcing bar (rebar) inside a concrete wall. Originally designed as an earthquake detector, this bug picked up the vibrations of human conversations as they hit the concrete wall, causing it to vibrate. The bug enabled technicians to easily pick out the sound of voices from other types of vibrations in the room. Soviet technicians were so impressed by the performance of this design that they installed similar devices in the US Embassy in Moscow when it was under construction in the early 1980s.
39. SPYSCH_141026_216.JPG: Drill Bug: The drill bug was designed to remain undetected during the routine search for bugs prior to the occupancy of the Soviet Embassy in Washington DC. Bugs require only a pinhole opening to pick up a conversation; however, even tiny hole can be detected during a search. The drill bug drills its own hole from the inside out after a search. During construction, the bug and a remote-controlled drill assembly were concealed in a cinder block installed in the Embassy's guardhouse. After the bug search, US technicians signaled the drill to bore a shallow hole and insert the bug. If no speech was detected, the assembly repeated the drilling process, a fraction of an inch deeper each time, until the wall surface was penetrated and the bug picked up voices. Chair Rail Bug: In December 1999, FBI agents discovered a bug in the US State Department headquarters in Washington, DC. In the months preceding this discovery, Stanislav Gusev, an agent working under Soviet diplomatic cover, was repeatedly observed outside the building. The FBI suspected that Gusev was receiving transmissions from a wireless bug from somewhere in the building, but where? After an exhaustive search, FBI agents found the bug ingeniously concealed in the chair rail molding of a seventh floor conference room. Gusev was declared persona non grata and expelled from the US.
40. SPYSCH_141026_217.JPG: Tree Stump Bug: In the early 1970s, US intelligence placed a bug in a wooded area near Moscow to eavesdrop on radar and communications signals of a nearby Soviet missile system. The intercepted signals were stored and then transmitted to a satellite passing overhead, for retransmission to a ground site in the US. The device was concealed in an artificial tree stump, camouflaged in a cluster of trees and tall glass. The top of the tree stump appeared to be opaque, but was actually transparent. It allowed enough sunlight through to charge the device's solar batteries. The KGB eventually discovered the bug. Quick Plant Bugs: When an agent doesn't have the time or access necessary to plant a complex bug system, he can use a "quick plant." Audience surveillance technicians conceal wireless bugs and transmitters in small items that can be quickly installed or simply "left" at the target location such as the opponent's office, home, or car. Examples of quick plants include cigarette lighters, electrical adapters, and telephone mouthpieces.
41. SPYSCH_141026_221.JPG: Trojan Horse Bugs: Named after the famous deception of the Trojan War, a "Trojan Horse" bug is concealed in an object such as a book, plant, or picture and given to an unsuspecting target as a gift.
42. SPYSCH_141026_232.JPG: Blanketed in Secrecy: Oleg Gordievsky was chief of the KGB's London bureau during the 1980s. He also spied for Britain's intelligence service, MI6. When the Soviets became suspicious and called him back to Moscow, MI6 engineered a dramatic escape. Wrapped in a thermal blanket to mask his body heat and prevent detection by Soviet temperature-scanning equipment, Gordievsky was smuggled to safety in a van. While a KGB death sentence, Gordievsky met with President Reagan to discuss his experiences.
43. SPYSCH_141026_235.JPG: Getaway Cars: During the Cold War, spies and ordinary citizens alike risked their lives to escape the oppression of East Germany. One strategy was to modify the getaway vehicle to carry hidden passengers. People would endure almost any discomfort to evade detection, hiding under back seats or beneath false floors, or even strapped underneath the car. Some East Germans were so desperate to reunite with loved ones in the West that they planned ingenious ways to sneak across the Berlin Wall.
44. SPYSCH_141026_239.JPG: Tricking the Border Guards: When East German border guards realized people were crossing the Berlin Wall by hiding in automobiles, they stepped up their vehicle inspection efforts. Determined escapees thought of new ways to conceal themselves. Some hid on top of the car -- in hollowed out luggage, between surf boards, or inside stereo speakers strapped to the roof. The Isetta car looked too small to hide in, but a person could squeeze in by removing the heater and battery.
45. SPYSCH_141026_243.JPG: Front Row Seat: Imagine spending several hours crammed behind the front grill of a car. Eighteen East German refugees did just that, hiding in this car to flee to West Berlin. The car's 18 escape missions took place in the first year after the erection of the Berlin Wall. After that, border guards began inspecting vehicles more carefully and hiding behind the grill was no longer safe. Safely in West Germany, a woman crawls out of the front of the escape vehicle.
46. SPYSCH_141026_255.JPG: The Quick-Witted Spy, Sharp and Sly: Suave, sophisticated, assured -- some spies stylishly conceal their intent under a "cloak" of dash and dazzle and charm. On the silver screen, these are the white knights in black tie, the steely women in soft silk, who save the world while ensuring their marines are shaken, not stirred. In real life, charm and polish mask quick minds and watchful eyes. Frequently, agents cloak themselves more literally with daring disguises. Often, they operate unsuspected, using state-of-the-art communications devices or the elegant simplicity of microdots and codes.
47. SPYSCH_141026_257.JPG: Spy Truck: This homemade toy truck was brought into Canada by the young son of a foreign intelligence operative in the early 1960s. It is a cleverly crafted concealment device -- can you see the microdot reader and special lens as well as the one-time pad for coded communication?
48. SPYSCH_141026_264.JPG: Table Lighter: This table lighter contained a miniature camera designed to photograph secret documents. The device was created by a foreign intelligence service to conduct espionage operations in North America.
49. SPYSCH_141026_280.JPG: Keeping In Touch: Spy and spymaster must communicate without detection -- and countless spy tools enable just that. Encoded transmissions sent between tiny radios, cipher devices that produce unbreakable codes, concealed compartments inside everyday objects... all are devised to blend so seamlessly with their surroundings that even the most alert enemy wouldn't look twice.
50. SPYSCH_141026_283.JPG: Secret Writing, Flaps and Seals: Sometimes a written communication can be hidden in plain view. Secret writing insures that only the intended recipient will find and translate the message. Writings can be in code, or can even be invisible. The "wet system" uses invisible inks that appear when exposed to heat or chemical reactants. The "transfer" system simply involves carbon paper. "Flaps and seals" work in the secret opening of mail -- by steaming open an envelope, separating the glue or using water to break the seal.
51. SPYSCH_141026_287.JPG: Postcards with Secret Writing USSR, 1960s Secret messages could be written in any area of a normal-looking postcard. These tourist postcards, with the secret writing developed, show writing both in the margins and between lines.
52. SPYSCH_141026_293.JPG: Handwritten text: "Hello My Friend! Greetings from Moscow. I am here on a business trip. I am delighted with the city. I have been to my friends' place. They say hello. Eager to meet you. Galina" Secret Writing Text: "Aleksey. We sent a courier with money and codes. Meet him according to Option No. 5 Confirmation No. 12. 28.11.65"
53. SPYSCH_141026_300.JPG: Letter with Invisible Ink: This letter, a re-creation of one from the George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, shows an early use of invisible inks. The message was written with milk.
54. SPYSCH_141026_305.JPG: Handkerchief with Secret Writing West Germany, 1960s Even everyday items such as handkerchiefs could be used to send secret messages. A chemical was used to partially expose this message.
55. SPYSCH_141026_311.JPG: Envelope Searched for Secret Writing Germany, circa 1940-1945 The blue slash across the front of this envelope indicates postal censors used a chemical reagent to look for secret writing.
56. SPYSCH_141026_319.JPG: Letter Extraction Device Britain, 1940-1945 Used by British officials in World War II, this device was inserted under the flap of an envelope and turned until the letter was wrapped around it. The letter could then be pulled out without unsealing the envelope.
57. SPYSCH_141026_322.JPG: Copy Camera Kit Czech Intelligence, 1960s-1970s Before searching letters, agents used a copy camera like this to photograph them. The photos allowed them to restore the letters exactly as they were.
58. SPYSCH_141026_327.JPG: Letter Containing Secret Writing USSR, 1965
59. SPYSCH_141026_334.JPG: Secret Writing Detection Kit Stasi, 1980s East German intelligence officers used this kit to read secret messages. Their informants were given pens containing special ink that would only fluoresce when viewed under ultaviolent light of a specific wavelength -- otherwise, the writing remained invisible.
60. SPYSCH_141026_339.JPG: Pickup or Delivery? For a spy, stealing secrets is only half the battle. The final, critical step is getting the information to one's handlers. Often this includes concealing documents or other items in everyday objects such as an umbrella, shaving cream can, or button. Since meeting in person may be dangerous or impossible, spies and their handlers often communicate via dead drops -- prearranged places to pick up or drop off the concealment objects.
61. SPYSCH_141026_344.JPG: Hollow Coins KGB, 1950s-1990s Hollow coins easily concealed microfilm and microdots. They were opened by inserting a needle into a tiny hole in front of the coin.
62. SPYSCH_141026_350.JPG: Statuette Concealment for Minox Film Cassettes KGB, 1970s
63. SPYSCH_141026_354.JPG: Button Concealment KGB, 1950s-1960s
64. SPYSCH_141026_357.JPG: Soap Case Concealment for Film HVA, 1970s Hauptverwaltung Aufkl�rung From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Hauptverwaltung Aufkl�rung (HVA) ("Main Directorate for Reconnaissance") of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, "East Germany") was the foreign intelligence service of the GDR and was an integral part of the GDR Ministry of State Security, commonly known as the Stasi. After the Stasi was disbanded in 1990, its mode of operation was revealed to the public and the HVA was subjected to broad interest, as well as intensive research, which falls under the responsibilities of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records. The end of the HVA and the discovery of its internal structure, its methods and its employees was an exceptional event, which to date is unique in modern history, after World War II. The HVA is regarded as the most effective foreign intelligence service during the Cold War.
65. SPYSCH_141026_362.JPG: Hollow Shaving Cream Can Concealment US Intelligence, 1960s
66. SPYSCH_141026_371.JPG: Courier Shoes with Container KGB, 1980s
67. SPYSCH_141026_375.JPG: Umbrella Concealment for Film HVA, 1970s
68. SPYSCH_141026_378.JPG: Drop Dead Spikes CIA, 1960s-1990s These spikes could be filled with anything from money to microdot cameras. They were hidden by pushing them into the ground at a prearranged location.
69. SPYSCH_141026_382.JPG: Hollow Nail Concealments KGB, first produced 1950s
70. SPYSCH_141026_386.JPG: Secret Transmissions: In World War II and the Cold War, some spies communicated with their handlers with specially designed radios. Small enough to be carried easily, these radios could send or receive messages, usually by Morse code. The problem with special espionage radios was that, if discovered, they would give away their owner's activities. So other spies protected their covers by opting for ordinary short wave radios.
71. SPYSCH_141026_389.JPG: Doo Doo Transmitter CIA, circa 1970 Effectively camouflaged, this homing beacon transmitted a radio signal that directed aircraft to locations for strikes or reconnaissance.
72. SPYSCH_141026_394.JPG: Shoe with Heel Transmitter Romanian Secret Service (Securitate), 1960s-1970s Secretly obtaining an American diplomat's shoes, the Romanians outfitted them with a hidden microphone and transmitter, thus enabling them to monitor the conversations of their unsuspecting target.
73. SPYSCH_141026_399.JPG: Dot-size Documents: A microdot is a photograph so small, an entire document can be reduced to the size of a punctuation mark in a newspaper. Originally developed as a parlor trick, microdots became essential tools of the spy craft trade. These tiny images could be embedded on an envelope or postcard, or hidden inside a ring of cufflinks. Reading them required special magnifying viewers. Often, these too were cleverly concealed in a cigarette or a fountain pen.
74. SPYSCH_141026_405.JPG: Microdot Camera HVA, 1960s This tiny, easy to hide microdot camera could photograph documents and product microdots less than a millimeter in diameter.
75. SPYSCH_141026_411.JPG: Fountain Pen with Concealed Microdot Viewer East Germany, 1960s
76. SPYSCH_141026_413.JPG: Concealment Cufflinks KGB, 1950s
77. SPYSCH_141026_419.JPG: Concealment Ring for Microdots KGB, 1960s
78. SPYSCH_141026_423.JPG: Making a Microdot STEP 1: Take photo of document and develop the film. Prepare a photo-sensitive plate by pasting a square of wet cellophane onto a glass plate. Coat it with silver nitrate, potassium bromide, a pyramidone and vodka solution.
79. SPYSCH_141026_425.JPG: STEP 2: Produce the microdot. The camera setup reduces the text to fit onto the tiny square of cellophane, creating a microdot less than 1 millimeter in size.
80. SPYSCH_141026_428.JPG: STEP 3: Cut out the microdot Remove the cellophane from the glass plate and carefully cut around three sides of the microdot. Use a toothpick to anchor the cellophane while cutting the fourth side.
81. SPYSCH_141026_431.JPG: STEP 4. Hide the microdot. Using a razor blade, slit the edge of a postcard and insert the microdot. Glue the opening shut with egg white or potato starch.
82. SPYSCH_141026_435.JPG: Cu Chi Tunnels: Two hundred and fifty kilometers of dangerous narrow, hand-dug tunnels were the underground fortress of the Viet Cong. The tunnels of Cu Chi stretch between the Cambodian Border and Saigon. They were the lynchpin of the Viet Cong campaign in this region of Viet Nam, providing an underground transportation system for soldiers and civilians who could emerge anywhere, anytime. Believing that they had chosen wisely, the US Army's 25th Division built its military base on high ground, away from Saigon and civilians... and right on top of the tunnels. This gave the Viet Cong spy network ample opportunity to work from within and below.
83. SPYSCH_141026_438.JPG: An Underground City: The model of the Cu Chi Tunnel illustrates the maze of underground chambers used for sleeping, bathing, cooking, caring for the sick, political theatre, food storage, conferences, printing, water buffalo shelter and espionage.
84. SPYSCH_141026_443.JPG: Meeting Room
85. SPYSCH_141026_444.JPG: Food Preparation
86. SPYSCH_141026_445.JPG: Concealed, Silent, Deadly Though most spies are unarmed, a highly dangerous mission might call for carrying a weapon. The specific kind of weapon depends on the situation. Small blades hidden behind a lapel or elsewhere allow hand-to-hand defense in emergencies. Pistols concealed in a lipstick case, cigarette lighter, or pipe are designed to fire at close range and be overlooked in a search. Umbrellas or rolled up newspapers can be equipped with poison gas pellets that leave no trace of their deadly presence.
87. SPYSCH_141026_447.JPG: Lipstick Pistol KGB, circa 1965 The lipstick pistol, used by KGB operatives during the Cold War, is a 4.5 mm, single shot weapon. It delivered the ultimate "kiss of death."
88. SPYSCH_141026_455.JPG: Gas Assassination Weapons KGB, 1950s KGB officer Bodgan Stashinsky assassinated two Ukrainian dissidents living in Germany using a poison gas weapon hidden inside a rolled-up newspaper.
89. SPYSCH_141026_460.JPG: Glove Pistol US Navy (ONI), circa 1942-1945 Armed with a glove pistol, an operative still had both hands free. To fire the pistol, the wearer pushed the plunger into an attacker's body.
90. SPYSCH_141026_470.JPG: Assassination Weapon in Cigarette Pack KGB, 1950s
91. SPYSCH_141026_475.JPG: Lighter Gun Unknown, 1970s
92. SPYSCH_141026_478.JPG: Flashlight Gun Unknown, 1930s
93. SPYSCH_141026_486.JPG: Cigarette Pistol and Components British Special Forces, circa 1939-1945 This single-shot, .22-caliber pistol could be easily concealed in a pack of cigarettes.
94. SPYSCH_141026_493.JPG: Tobacco Pipe Pistol British Special Forces, circa 1939-1945 This ordinary looking pipe fired a small projectile that could kill a person at close range.
95. SPYSCH_141026_496.JPG: Stingers (OSS and En-Pen) OSS and SOE, circa 1940-1945 Disposable, single-shot weapons such as these were used for clandestine operations during World War II.
96. SPYSCH_141026_502.JPG: Bulgarian Umbrella KGB, 1978 In 1978 the KGB used an umbrella like this -- modified to fire a tiny pellet filled with poison -- to assassinate dissident Georgi Markov on the streets of London.
97. SPYSCH_141026_512.JPG: Ring Guns France, 19th century
98. SPYSCH_141026_516.JPG: Dramatic Defection Francisco Arizmendi 8mm Revolver Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Soviet intelligence code clerk, Igor Gouzenko, tried to defect to Canadian in 1945 but initially was turned away as a crackpot. In a panic, he retreated to a neighbor's apartment with this pistol, ready to defend himself against the Soviet officers tracking him. Fortunately, the Canadians accepted his defection before the Soviets found him. His revelations that the Soviets were spying in North America helped spark the Cold War.
99. SPYSCH_141026_527.JPG: Bobbins British Special FOrces, circa 1939-1945
100. SPYSCH_141026_529.JPG: Peskett Close Combat Weapon British Special Forces, circa 1939-1945 This multi-purpose weapon used by the British Special Forces during the Cold War includes a dagger, cosh and garrote.
101. SPYSCH_141026_531.JPG: Lapel Knife British Special Forces, circa 1939-1945 This blade could be hidden inside the lapel of a jacket. Its small size made it a weapon of last resort.
102. SPYSCH_141026_535.JPG: The Spy Who Puts the "Do" in Derring-Do: Watching, waiting, planning -- these are all essential in espionage. But there is a time for watching a time for doing. Eventually, there comes a moment to act, as quickly and decisively as a dagger strike. The first task of espionage is to gather information. But often, the information gathered leads to deeds. That's when codes and cameras give way to covert operations and paramilitary intervention, to raids and tunnels and trouble. And that's when the spies known as "dagger" step forward.
103. SPYSCH_141026_538.JPG: Escape Compass MIS-X, circa 1942-1945 An exact duplicate of a soldier's uniform button, this compass is easily carried and easily overlooked.
104. SPYSCH_141026_546.JPG: Evading the Enemy Just as safe drivers keep an emergency kit in their car, spies in high-risk situations carry tools to help them evade danger or, if necessary, escape captivity. These World War II-era escape tools include compasses that resemble everyday objects, a pocket knife with wire cutting and lock-breaking features, and boots that convert to innocent-looking civilian shoes. Flameless lighters and maps printed on rustle-free paper helped keep agents from attracting unwanted attention.
105. SPYSCH_141026_549.JPG: Lighter SOE, circa 1940-1945 This lighter used heat rather than flame, allowing agents to light cigarettes behind enemy lines without being detected.
106. SPYSCH_141026_554.JPG: Pencil Clip Compass MI9, circa 1939-1945
107. SPYSCH_141026_560.JPG: Neck Lanyard Compass MI9, circa 1939-1945
108. SPYSCH_141026_562.JPG: Escape Map MI9, circa 1939-1945 This map was printed on special Japanese rice paper so that it wouldn't rustle when opened.
109. SPYSCH_141026_566.JPG: Emergency Sustenance Kit MIS-X, circa 1942-1945 Containing rations, maps, matches and other survival tools, this kit helped agents survive under harsh, emergency conditions.
110. SPYSCH_141026_570.JPG: Rectal Tool Kit CIA, 1960s Filled with escape tools, this kit could be stashed inside the body where it would not be found during a search.
111. SPYSCH_141026_585.JPG: Fully Loaded: High security vehicles use many of the "spy gizmos" first used in spy thrillers. Some devices, such as anti-theft devices and electronic door locks, are standard on many commercial vehicles. In addition to the traditional bulletproof glass and armored panels, special security vehicles can be outfitted with: * Gunports * Special Tires * Fire Suppression System * Break-in Alarms * Night Finder System * VHF or UHF Mobile Communications System with Scrambler * Recording System * Bug Detection System * Emergency Oxygen * Kidnap Recovering System * Explosive Vapor Detector * Smoke Screen * Electronic Shock System * Halogen Lights * Dual Ram Bumpers * Tear Gas Deterrent * Oil Slick Emission System * Remote Start/Bomb Scan * Siren/Public Address System
112. SPYSCH_141026_591.JPG: Pop Culture's Big Impact: The Aston Martin DB5 first appeared in the 1964 James Bond thriller Goldfinger. The ultimate spy car came fully loaded with machine guns, tire slashers, bulletproof shield, oil jets, dashboard radar screen, rotating license plate, and ejector seat. The Bond car not only captured the public's imagination, but inspired intelligence agencies to incorporate similar features into high security vehicles used in dangerous areas. The Presidential limo is armored and has state of the art technology, but any more details are classified information.
113. SPYSCH_141026_594.JPG: Stealthy Submarine: Russia's Kilo submarine is one of the quietest diesel subs in the world. It's said to detect enemy ships from a range three or four times greater than it can be detected itself. Equipped with six torpedo tubes, a high-speed computer, and sophisticated sensors, the Kilo is designed for combat as well as patrolling and reconnaissance missions. In 1993, Iran purchased two Kilos from Russia -- a potential threat as tracking equipment would not recognize them as enemy submarines.
114. SPYSCH_141026_599.JPG: Unmanned Aircraft: When the skies aren't safe for human pilots -- because of enemy fire or contaminated by biological or chemical weapons -- the RQ-1 Predator can take over. This unmanned vehicle performs surveillance and reconnaissance at medium altitude, and can stay airborne for nearly 24 hours at a time. Its three main components are the aircraft itself, a ground control station, and a satellite link. The US Defense Department developed the Predator in the mid-1990s for intelligence gathering in areas of moderate risk.
115. SPYSCH_141026_604.JPG: Acts of sabotage disable an enemy's infrastructure, industry and communications. During peacetime, sabotage operations can hurt the economy or other resources of a hostile country. During War, sabotage also diverts and enemy's attention from the front lines of battles. In World War II, resistance groups cooperated in sabotage operations, often using specialized, concealed explosives.
116. SPYSCH_141026_606.JPG: Acts of sabotage disable an enemy's infrastructure, industry and communications. During peacetime, sabotage operations can hurt the economy or other resources of a hostile country. During War, sabotage also diverts an enemy's attention from the front lines of battles. In World War II, resistance groups cooperated in sabotage operations, often using specialized, concealed explosives.
117. SPYSCH_141026_607.JPG: A Delay Firing Device OSS, circa 1942-1945 Highly trained saboteurs used this device to destroy enemy ships. The AC Delay was usually used with a limpet mine that was magnetically attached to the ship beneath the waterline.
118. SPYSCH_141026_612.JPG: Explosive Canteen US Army; Military Intelligence Training Model, circa 1942-1945
119. SPYSCH_141026_616.JPG: Thirty Day Clockwork CIA, 1960s This time-delay clock could be programmed to trigger an explosion anytime from one hour to thirty days after being set.
120. SPYSCH_141026_624.JPG: Minisid US Military Intelligence, 1970s Stuck into the ground, this instrument could detect vibrations from a vehicle or an intruder's footsteps then sound an alarm in the earpiece.
121. SPYSCH_141026_627.JPG: Sand Spike CIA, 1970s
122. SPYSCH_141026_629.JPG: Gas Tank Pill CIA, 1960s When dropped into the gas tank of a car or truck, this pill would expand and clog the vehicle's fuel line.
123. SPYSCH_141026_631.JPG: Lock Jamming Kit US Intelligence, 1970s To disable a lock, an agent simply stuck one of the plastic pieces into the lock then snapped off the end.
124. SPYSCH_141026_634.JPG: Communication Eliminator US Military Intelligence, 1970s When activated, this device would jam all radio communications around it then self detonate after its cycle was complete.
125. SPYSCH_141026_638.JPG: Tear Gas Gun CIA, 1960s
126. SPYSCH_141026_645.JPG: The Spy Behind the Spies: A spy organization is like an iceberg: most of it is hidden below the surface. Above the waves are the colorful agents in the field -- the suave operatives, stealthy sneaks, or daring men and women of action. Behind them, however, stands a vast, essential corps of professionals working patiently in the background. These are the scholar-spies and analysts, the "shadows" in the background who collect and interpret the information gathered. These are the counterintelligence agents and spy-hunters, the scientists, the go-betweens transmitting precious knowledge.
127. SPYSCH_141026_647.JPG: Microphones and Bugs: One way to obtain secret information is by listening for it. Specialized intelligence agents planted listening devices -- bugs -- anywhere secret conversations could take place. Some bugs are connected to a wire linked to a listening post. Others send a radio signal via transmitter to a receiving and recording device.
128. SPYSCH_141026_650.JPG: Wristwatch Microphone United States, circa 1958 This wristwatch would have been attached to a recording device concealed on the agent's body.
129. SPYSCH_141026_655.JPG: Motel Kit (Amplifier) CIA, 1970 By placing the microphone of this unit on a wall and listening through the earpiece, agents could eavesdrop on activities in an adjacent room.
130. SPYSCH_141026_659.JPG: Electra 707 Candid Recorder United States, 1950s
131. SPYSCH_141026_662.JPG: Cassette Recorder, RN-36 Commercially produced; used by US Intelligence, 1980s-1990s
132. SPYSCH_141026_667.JPG: Nagra Recorder Stasi, 1980s
133. SPYSCH_141026_671.JPG: Miniature Tape Recorder CIA, 1950s-1960s
134. SPYSCH_141026_678.JPG: The End of Operation Ivy Bells: When a satellite photo revealed Soviet warships gathered at the site of the underwater listening device, the US knew Operation Ivy Bells was in trouble. Sure enough, when Navy divers returned to the scene, the bug was gone. An investigation revealed that a National Security Agency employee, Ronald W. Pelton, had sold critical information to the KGB for $35,000. Pelton was convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison. USS Halibut carried the deep-sea divers who installed the waterproof listening pod on the Soviet underwater cable.
135. SPYSCH_141026_680.JPG: When the Soviets checked on their underwater cable they saw the words "Property of US Government" written inside the bugging pod. A Listening Bug in Enemy Waters: In the early 1970s, the US government learned that the Soviet Union had constructed an undersea cable between two major naval bases. Although a network of sound detection devices protected the area, the Navy could not pass up the chance to intercept a goldmine of Soviet intelligence. A team of combat divers worked with attack submarines to tap the undersea cable. They installed a tiny waterproof device that recorded all communications passing through the line. Every six to eight weeks, a submarine would return to collect the recording. This mission, Operation Ivy Bells, continued until its discovery by the Soviets in 1981.
136. SPYSCH_141026_689.JPG: My Embassy's Got More Bugs than Your Embassy! During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union used sophisticated technology to keep each other under surveillance -- especially in their nations' capitals. In 1969, both countries signed an agreement for constructing new embassies in Washington and Moscow. But the building process was painfully slow. Each side lodged official protests after finding eavesdropping devices in their new structures. The US suspended construction after discovering technologically advanced bugs hidden in the beams and floors of its new embassy. Meanwhile, Soviet officials showed photographers where alleged bugs were found embedded in marble and pipes in their new building. It would take over 25 years before both projects were finally completed. The US Embassy in Moscow was plagued by security breaches throughout the Cold War years.
137. SPYSCH_141026_694.JPG: Tchaikovsky Street: Construction began on a new US Embassy of Tchaikovsky Street in Moscow in 1979. But the building's blueprints soon made their way into Soviet hands, most likely by way of US Marine Clayton J. Lonetree, a guard stationed at the embassy. The new building had so many bugs hidden in its structure that the top two floors had to be torn down, and a new, secure steel frame structure was built on top.
138. SPYSCH_141026_698.JPG: Mount Alto: In 1973, the US agreed to allow the Soviet Union to situate its new embassy facilities on the choice, hilltop location of Mount Alto. Positioned on the third highest point in DC, it had a direct line-of-sight to the Capitol, the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department. Some intelligence officials were concerned -- correctly but to no avail -- that the embassy could be used as a platform to conduct electronic surveillance of the US government and other metropolitan targets.
139. SPYSCH_141026_703.JPG: Laser Listening Device (replica) Sweeping their Washington DC embassy for bugs in the 1970s, the Soviets discovered a curious apparatus in a wall. The device -- built by the National Security Agency (NSA), it turned out -- picked up conversations and transmitted them outside via a laser light beam.
140. SPYSCH_141026_706.JPG: Piercing the Bubble: The ninth floor of the American Embassy was designated a secure area; it contained a conference room known as the "bubble" and the CIA's code room, the Communications Programs Unit (CPU). The CPU was a marvel of concrete and steel designed to block KGB eavesdropping attempts. But in 1985, the NSA suspected security on the entire floor was compromised and decided to dismantle the CPU. No less than 20,000 tons of material had to be removed.
141. SPYSCH_141026_726.JPG: Concrete Evidence: The concrete walls of the new American Embassy in Moscow were honeycombed with Soviet bugs. To confuse American bug sweepers, the KGB also embedded scraps of metal and wiring in the concrete. One chunk containing an insulated antenna cable was encased and presented to Direct of Central Intelligence William H. Webster. Can you identify it in this core sample? The memento remained on his desk at CIA headquarters for many years.
142. SPYSCH_141026_727.JPG: Let's Play Monopoly: Long before the new Soviet embassy complex on Wisconsin Avenue was completed, the FBI purchased a nearby house with a basement and started digging. Operation MONOPOLY had begun. Its goal -- a tunnel underneath the embassy to eavesdrop on Moscow's diplomats. But in 1989, FBI agent and Soviet spy Robert Hanssen betrayed the operation to the KGB. A few years later, the project was terminated and the tunnel sealed. Today, locals continue to wonder about the location of the tunnel's entrance. Some evidence points to a brick residence with white siding and perpetually drawn blinds on the 3800 block of Fulton Street. "If we find it," joked Russia's ambassador, "perhaps we can use it as a sauna."
143. SPYSCH_141026_735.JPG: The Thing: In 1946, Soviet school children gave the US ambassador a carved wooden replica of the Great Seal of the United States. The ambassador prominently displayed the seal in his study. In 1952, technicians discovered a small bugging device hidden within the seal. The bug was activated by an ultra-high frequency beam generated from a van parked near the US Embassy. Americans learned of "the Thing" in 1960, when American Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge displayed the inside of the seal to the United Nations.
144. SPYSCH_141026_744.JPG: Transceiver (CODENAME: LOSS) Replica, originally issued by NKVD, 1946 This device, a radio transmitter and receiver housed in a single unit, was for portable use. From a van parked nearby, it aimed a radio signal at the antenna hidden in the seal. This caused vibrations within the empty cavity. Any conversation in the room further changed the modulation of the beam, which was then picked up and interpreted by the receiver.
145. SPYSCH_141026_745.JPG: Soviet Gadget Master: Leon Theremin, the Russian inventor of the earliest fully electronic musical instrument, emigrated to the United States in the 1920s. Under mysterious circumstances -- possibly abducted by Soviet secret agents -- he returned to the Soviet Union in 1938. Detained in a Siberian labor camp, he was then forced to build covert listening devices, his most famous product begin the Great Seal bug whose ingenuity baffled Western experts. Released in 1956, Theremin died in Moscow in 1993.
146. SPYSCH_141026_747.JPG: Great Seal of the United States Replica, showing cut away and hidden listening device Originally issued by NKVD, 1946 The bug, nicknamed "the Thing," is a passive cavity resonator that required no internal power. When it was not activated, it was almost impossible to detect -- no wired to be discovered, no batteries to wear out. It did, however, require air to fill the surrounding cavity. The air was supplied through a tiny hole int he eagles' beak.
147. SPYSCH_141026_749.JPG: What Happens when a Spy Gets Caught? If you are a spy, fear is always with you. To do your job well, you collect information. This information is evidence, and if you are caught with it, there are consequences. During the Cold War, a US Embassy worker had a special delivery to make. A seemingly innocent evening stroll takes her to the Lenin Hills Bridge. But her activities have been carefully watched, and her worst fears are about to be realized. Moscow's Lenin Hills Bridge seems like a good location for a dead drop. Anyone waiting would be easily spotted. Or not?
148. SPYSCH_141026_752.JPG: Portrait of the Artist, as a Spy Emil Goldfus was an accomplished artist and photographer with a studio in Brooklyn. But he was really KGB Colonel Rudolf Abel who ran an extensive spy network for nine years, until arrested in 1957. Although sentenced to 45 years, Abel never talkers. Instead, he drew -- recording prison life -- and, he was lucky. In 1962, he was exchanged for American U2 pilot Gary Powers on the Glienicker Bridge in Berlin, and returned to the USSR. Soviet spy Colonel Rudolf Ivanovich Abel was led in handcuffs from his espionage trial.
149. SPYSCH_141026_754.JPG: Rudolf Ivanovich Abel USSR, 1903-1971 Lithograph, 1960 While serving time at the state penitentiary, Abel depicted the street life of Smith's Bottom, Atlanta, that took place just outside his cell window.
150. SPYSCH_141026_758.JPG: Dead Drop Rock CIA, 1970s Natural objects make excellent hiding places because they are easily overlooked. A dead-drop concealed in a rock can securely transfer information from spy to handler.
151. SPYSCH_141026_762.JPG: The Ultimate End Game: A spy's greatest fear is getting caught. An agent will employ some of the most ingenious tools of spycraft to avoid capture -- and if caught, to protect his or her secrets. Spies are taught how to conceal and use poisons. Rather than risk telling their secrets under extreme torture, some spies have taken their own lives. Of course, catching spies is what it's all about. Using a combination of high-tech and low tech devices agents are trained to track suspicious characters and collect evidence. Some are taught how to "persuade" spies to give up their secrets.
152. SPYSCH_141026_764.JPG: Rectal Concealment for Cyanide Capsule Germany, 1945 A desperate alternative to capture is suicide. Hermann Goering, the World War II head of the German Luftwaffe, concealed his poison in a rifle cartridge hidden in his rectum. He took his own life while imprisoned at Nuremberg.
153. SPYSCH_141026_773.JPG: Brass Knuckles British Special Forces, 1939-1947 These hand weapons gave extra power and weight to the wearer. Such devices could intimidate or inflict serious injury to a reluctant witness.
154. SPYSCH_141026_780.JPG: Eyeglasses with Concealed Cyanide Pills CIA, circa 1975-1977 A poisonous pellet was hidden in these glasses. Choosing death over torture, a captive could casually chew his eyeglass arm without arousing suspicion ... until it was too late.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
2014 photos: Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Winchester, VA, Nashville, TN, and Atlanta, GA), Michigan to visit mom in the hospice before she died and then a return trip after she died, and my 9th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, Sacramento, Oakland, and Los Angeles). Ego strokes: Paul Dickson used one of my photos as the author photo in his book "Aphorisms: Words Wrought by Writers". Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Number of photos taken this year: just over 470,000.
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Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].