An inconspicuous, but deadly, umbrella was used by Sovietspies to assassinate enemies of the state. Its tip was fitted with ricin, a slow acting, and at the time virtually untraceabl… See more

In 1974 the CIA premiered the ‘insectothopter’, a remote-controlled faux dragonfly designed to secretly record conversations of interest. The machine was not without … See more

Miniature cameras were used by operatives from Europe, the United States and the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Models small enough to be concealed within a jac… See more

During World War Two, the US Office of Strategic Services commissioned an incendiary bomb disguised as a box of pencils. The contraption benefitted from a time-delaye… See more

Agents used untraceable letter-opening devices during World War Two to read mail without its recipient knowing. A thin bar would be slid through the narrow opening at the top of a… See more