3 days ago
The James Bond-style Soviet spy cameras disguised as everyday objects for use in the Cold War
A treasure trove of 'extremely discrete' James Bond-style cameras used by Soviet spies against their Cold War rivals is set to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
The gadgets, which include cameras disguised as folders, briefcases, and more, were built for use by the KGB, the Stasi, and other Eastern Bloc spy agencies.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the murky history of most of the items remains shrouded in mystery.
But a few precious details survive for some.
For example, the Oko II camera – which was made by the Czech company, Meopta – was formerly used in a European embassy
And the device in Lot 435, a brass Stasi camera, seems to have been custom made for a specific individual or mission.
One gadget was actually produced on the near side of the iron curtain – an ingenious wristwatch camera from West German manufacturer Steinheil.
And the Tochka is similar to the Riga Minox camera used by George Lazenby in the Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
A spy camera from West German manufacturer Steinheil disguised as a watch
Michal Kosakowski, head of appraisals at German firm Leitz Photographica Auction, which is handling the sale, described the cameras as 'extremely discrete'.
He said: 'The more advanced designs, such as the Tochka and Oko II, operate almost silently and are very difficult to detect.
'The intended use depends on the specific camera.
'Some, like the briefcase camera or the Tochka, were designed for field operations and could be carried on the body.
'The Tochka, for instance, had multiple concealment options.
'Others, such as the Oko II, which is hidden in a file folder, were intended for stationary use.'
All the cameras are 'quite rare', and some are deceptively simple, Mr Kosakowski said.
'The level of sophistication varies,' he said.
'While simple designs like the pinhole camera in Lot 428 could be operated by virtually anyone, more complex devices required specialised training.
'For example, Lot 435 – a Stasi camera – required a specific setup for document copying, with precise distance, lighting, and exposure time.'
He continued: 'The briefcase camera in Lot 427 consists of a slightly modified Zorki and a fairly crude mechanism.
'In contrast, the Oko II is highly advanced, featuring a top-grade electromechanical shutter and completely silent film transport.
'On the simpler end, some devices like those in Lots 428 and 435 are fully mechanical, yet robust and highly reliable.'
Despite the cameras all going to auction on the same date, they weren't part of the same collection.
Mr Kosakowski said: 'These cameras come from various sources.
'It's actually a coincidence that so many ended up in the same auction – an unusual and fortunate convergence.'
Also up for grabs is the Leica o-Serie No. 112, which is described as 'one of the world's oldest and rarest film cameras', and is set to fetch up to €2m (£1.6m).
Estimates for the miniature and spy cameras vary from €500 (£420) to €10,000 (£8,400).
The cameras will go under the hammer in Wetzlar, Germany, on June 27.
