Not just "digital": analog spy cameras from 1861 to the present day

[Man]

A camera in a clothes brush? Why not …

Not long ago, we published an article on our blog with tips on how to detect a hidden camera in a hotel room. And now - a story about the most unusual spy cameras of the past, starting from the 19th century.

As you understand, now the process of making a spy "bug" is nothing special. Miniature in the world of victorious semiconductors and digital technologies will not surprise anyone. But earlier, when the world was analog, making something miniature, especially a camera, was an extremely difficult matter.

Automatique De Bertsch

This is one of the first or even the first miniature camera, which was made in 1861. At that time, the process of photographing required considerable knowledge of photographic equipment and chemicals. Cameras were inconvenient, and photographing took a long time.

This French camera was probably made for the "wow effect" rather than for spy work. But as the first representative of miniature cameras, it arouses genuine interest. It's a pity that the pictures taken with it have not survived. By the way, its dimensions are 1 inch * 1.5 inches. Even now, this is not much, but back then it was a miracle.

Ticca Expo Watch

A very cool camera for its time. It was placed in a pocket watch case (the watch itself was fake and did not work). By the way, at first the manufacturer simply released a camera in a watch case, and then added a dial.

Inside there was a special cassette with 17.5 film. The number of frames in the cassette was 25. The size of the case was 55*21 mm.
This miracle of technology cost $3.85 - good money at that time.

Ansco Memo

This camera was more convenient, and it appeared many years later - already at the beginning of the 20th century. Having appeared, it gained popularity among those who like to take pictures quickly and unnoticed. It could be put in a pocket and used when necessary. The camera in the photo was made in 1927.
At first, its body was made of polished wood, then the wood was covered with leather. The camera allowed you to take 50 pictures.

ABC Wristwatch Camera

A miniature wrist camera that could easily have become an accessory for Agent 007. It was made in 1949 in Germany. Although this technical marvel doesn't look much like a watch, upon closer inspection it immediately becomes clear that it is a camera.
Real spies probably didn't use a wrist camera, since the protruding lens immediately made it clear that you were looking at a camera.

Echo 8 Lighter Camera

Nothing surprising - just a camera in a fully functional lighter. Unlike all these fake watches, it was difficult to recognize a camera in such a thing. It was made in 1951, and probably could well have been used by spies. By the way, the camera shutter was triggered only after the lighter lid was opened. So smoking was an integral part of the photography process.

Inside the lighter-camera there was a cassette with 8 mm film. There were 20 frames of 6 * 6 mm.

By the way, according to the owners of this camera, it is still not worth refilling the lighter - often flammable liquid gets into the camera mechanism and ruins everything there. Such devices can no longer be restored.

Tessina 35

The camera fit perfectly into a pack of cigarettes. It could be used in tandem with a lighter camera - if one didn't work, the other would definitely work. It was so successful that it was produced for 38 years - from 1957 to 1996.
Then there was complete miniaturization, so such devices became unnecessary. But one can only imagine how many thousands of shots were taken by spies and ordinary people during these 38 years.

Different versions of the camera were produced, and the manufacturer also supplied accessories, such as an eight-fold zoom lens.

Pigeon camera
A very unusual device that was attached to a carrier pigeon. It was used relatively actively for aerial photography from the 1940s to the late 1950s. Over time, the need for such a device disappeared, since aviators could take much better pictures.

By the way, this is not a mid-century invention. The technology of pigeon photography was developed by German pharmacist Julius Neubronner back in 1907. He used birds to deliver medicine and simultaneously developed a camera that took pictures at certain intervals.
Neubronner received a patent for his invention, so he can rightfully be considered the founder of "bird aerial photography", a technology that was also used for peaceful purposes.
In 1931, another person, Swiss watchmaker Christian Adrian Michel, adapted Neubronner's camera for 16mm film. He also improved the mechanism for controlling the delay before the first shot and rewinding the film between frames.

Camera in a button

A rather unusual camera, which was also used by spies. As far as is known, such devices were used both in the USSR and in the USA and Europe. Despite the name, the camera did not fit in the button - the lens was located there. The miniature camera was placed behind the coat flap. It did not give away its presence in any way, since it was very small. But the control mechanism fit in the pocket.

By the way, such cameras also exist now, they look something like the one shown below.

And this is a regular consumer device. One can only imagine the degree of stealth of real spy "button cameras".

Micro cameras

Well, that is, they were actually microcameras that used incredibly small microfilm. The frame fit into an area of 1 mm2. Even the most careful inspection would not detect such film, since it could all be hidden in any objects. The film could be sent in a letter - no one would find it during censorship. And cassettes with such films were also attached to the same pigeons.

The pictures taken by such a camera could only be viewed under a microscope - there was no other way.

And what now?

The flight of thought of modern engineers is not limited by anything - fortunately, digital technologies can do everything or almost everything. But there are particularly unusual inventions. For example, a camera mounted on a radio-controlled cockroach or other insect. Not long ago, scientists developed a project for a video camera weighing only 248 mg. But this is no longer a photo, but a full-fledged video camera capable of broadcasting a video stream for a couple of hundred meters.

True, it does not look very practical. Probably, the project is a proof of concept, since it is difficult to imagine the practical benefit of a huge darkling beetle with a camera on its back. Such a "system" is more likely related to anti-spy technology.