CIA Spy Museum | PICRYL collections

168 Media in collection ∙ page 1 of 2

Medal of Honor, William Donovan, WWI

General Donovan – Director of the Office of Strategic Services – was the most highly decorated officer of World War I. He was awarded the medal for action in France in 1918. Donovan led his men to take the Germ... More

Untouchable

by Dru Blair.Mixed Media on Illustration Board, 2007.Donated by Daniel K. Hilton.Under the highly secret Project OXCART, CIA developed the A 12 as the U-2’s successor, intended to meet our nation’s need for a v... More

Peacekeeper

By Dru Blair.2010.Mixed Media on Illustration Board.Donated Courtesy of Richard J. Guggenhime and Donald Elster..On 23 January 1968, North Korea seized the US Navy Ship Pueblo while it was on a signals intellig... More

The Day the Wall Came Down

by Veryl Goodnight.Bronze, 2004.Donated by Sarah and John Lindahl, Jr..Veryl Goodnight watched raptly with the rest of the world as the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989. That night, she says, in a dream, her... More

Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Introduced in 1941, this knife is named after its two British designers, Captains W. E. Fairbairn and E. A. Sykes. While serving with the Shanghai Police, they gained experience in close-combat fighting. Fairba... More

Afghan Saddle, Afghanistan

Joint CIA and US Military Special Forces teams inserted into Afghanistan found the local terrain challenging. The joint US teams and their Afghan military allies found local transportation networks offered oppo... More

Piece of Metal from U-2, Article 341

On 4 April 1957, during a Project Rainbow test with Lockheed's Flight Test Pilot Robert Sieker at the control, a malfunction occurred, and both the plane and pilot were lost. Forty years later, after five year... More

Piece of Metal from A-12

During a routine A-12 training flight on 5 January 1967, a fuel gauge failed to function properly, and the aircraft ran out of fuel only minutes before landing. The pilot, Walter Ray, ejected but was killed whe... More

Continental Air Service's Pilatus Turbo Porter Landing Up Country in L...

Keith Woodcock.Oil on Canvas, 2010.Donated Courtesy of Owen Lee Gossett.Continental Air Service, Inc. (CASI) provided essential contract flying during the war in Southeast Asia in support of the CIA and other U... More

Earthquake’s Final Flight

by Jeffrey W. Bass.Oil on Canvas, 2006 .Donated by the Fairchild Corporation.This painting commemorates air operations of Civil Air Transport (CAT, an Agency proprietary) and its CIA contract pilots in support ... More

Seven Days in the Arctic

by Keith Woodcock.Oil on Canvas, 2007.Donated by Gar and Audrey Thorsrud.The painting depicts an Intermountain Aviation B-17 successfully catching Lt. (jg) Leonard A. LeSchack, USNR while Maj. James F. Smith, U... More

An Air Combat First

Keith Woodcock.Oil on Canvas, 2007.Donated by Marius Burke and Boyd D. Mesecher.Known as “Site 85,” the US radar facility perched atop a 5,800-foot mountain in northeast Laos was providing critical and otherwis... More

William J. Donovan’s Duffle Bag

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Ammunition Clip and Case

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Air America China, Thailand

This Noritake china (Pattern No. 3/458) was used in the Air America mess hall in Udorn, Thailand....For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Air America China, Thailand

This Noritake china (Pattern No. 3/458) was used in the Air America mess hall in Udorn, Thailand. A service included this dinner plate as well as a small plate, coffee cup and saucer....For more information on ... More

Air America China, Thailand

This Noritake china (Pattern No. 3/458) was used in the Air America mess hall in Udorn, Thailand. ..For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

A-12 OXCART Flight Suit Gloves

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

A-12 OXCART Flight Suit Boots

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Elephant Counter, Cambodia

CIA technicians invented and used this unusual device in the 1960s to keep track of the enemy in Southeast Asia. The mission was to count people and supplies moving down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam... More

Beginner’s Flaps and Seals Kit

These tools were used for learning how to clandestinely open, read, and reseal envelopes or packages without the recipient’s knowledge. ...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.... More

A-12 OXCART Helmet

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Air America Challenge Coin

During the Vietnam War, Air America, a CIA proprietary airline, flew a variety of missions in the Far East. These missions ranged from undercover CIA operations to overt air transportation. The Republic of Viet... More

Air America Challenge Coin

Air America Formal Pilot Hat

Blood Chit, Afghanistan

Blood chits are carried to request aid from people in enemy territory. An unspecified reward is promised to anyone helping the person to safety. This blood chit is made of waterproof Tyvek for use in Afghanis... More

Admiral Calland’s Desert Combat Uniform Top

Vice Adm. Albert “Bert” M. Calland III was the first US military flag officer to set foot in Afghanistan in 2001. He served as commander of all Special Operations Forces for US Central Command during Operation ... More

Escape & Evasion Survival Kit

Designed for use by special operations personnel, this kit contains a number of survival tools, including a diamond wire to cut metal, fishing equipment, a ceramic blade, a can opener, lock picks and a mini-Lea... More

Afghan Hat, Afghanistan

A gift from Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to former DCI George Tenet...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Mine Probing Tool, Afghanistan

In December 2001 a team of CIA/DS&T officers used this tool to uncover a 2,400-pound Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried in the dirt-covered roof of the governor’s palace at Kandahar—rendering it safe just... More

PRC-112B1 Survival Radio

The PRC-112B1 is a hand-held radio providing line-of-sight voice, text, and data communications. It contains a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, which also allows it to transmit the user’s geographic l... More

Special Operations Forces Laser Marker (SOFLAM)

US Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan used the AN/PEQ-1A SOFLAM to direct exact delivery of ordnance. The SOFLAM was an important tool in the battle for Tora Bora where a CIA US Special Forces team direc... More

US Army Lensatic Compass

US Military forces have used this basic compass since the 1950s with only minor modifications. With its olive-drab aluminum case, sighting wire, magnifying eyepiece, and luminous dial, the compass enables the ... More

Pointy-Talky Language Chart

Dari is the language commonly spoken by the tribes of northern Afghanistan. Americans not fluent in Dari could use this chart to communicate basic words and phrases in written and spoken phonetic Dari by speak... More

Shrade Tool, Afghanistan

A CIA medic carried this multi-purpose tool in Afghanistan. He used it to perform numerous surgical procedures, including three lower-leg amputations...For more information on CIA history and this artifact ple... More

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 specifies that CIA Headquarters compound is to be named after former Director of Central Intelligence and President George H. W. Bush. This is the legislatio... More

Civil Air Transport Souvenir Bag

CAT travelers received flight bags as complementary gifts...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Civil Air Transport Wicker Basket

Civil Air Transport (CAT) baskets were promotional handouts for CAT travelers...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Civil Air Transport Picture

This graphic is from one of the Tang Horse calendars published by CAT. It is a reproduction of a stone rubbing of a miniature replica of one of the six bas-reliefs adorning the entrance to the tomb of Emperor ... More

Civil Air Transport Cigarette Lighter

This Civil Air Transport (CAT) lighter is from the Hong Kong-to-Bangkok inaugural flight of Civil Air Transport on July 20, 1957....For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov... More

Civil Air Transport Bottle

This Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly bottle contained medicinal wine (intended for a strong and healthy heart) that was served on some CAT flights....For more information on CIA history and this artifact pleas... More

Dynazoom

The Dynazoom was a state-of-the-art device for stereo viewing of satellite and aircraft film in the 1960s and 1970s. It optically couples two commercial microscopes capable of magnifications up to 300x. Using... More

Office of Strategic Services Blood Chit

This silk blood chit was issued for use by the Office of Strategic Services in the China-Burma-India Theater. Written in several native languages, it reads, “This foreign person (American) has come to China to... More

Office of Strategic Services Compass

This was used by an Office of Strategic Services (OSS) officer who served with OSS Detachment 202 in the China-Burma-India Theater. After first commanding an OSS base at Kunming, China, he then established a n... More

Office of Strategic Services Escape & Evasion Knife

This knife was used by British and American demolitionists during WWII. A member of an Office of Strategic Services Jedburgh team carried this on his first mission as he parachuted into Nazi-occupied France...... More

DCI Allen W. Dulles’s Stamps

Former OSS officer Allen W. Dulles was the longest serving DCI from 1953 to 1961. To many, this period was the “Golden Age” of the CIA, for it was under Dulles that the Agency matured and developed its charact... More

William J. Donovan’s Belt

Belt from the New York National Guard Calvary Trooper’s dress uniform of Office of Strategic Services Director William Donovan...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( ... More

William J. Donovan’s Metal Match Case

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Uniform Jacket

Office of Strategic Services Director William Donovan wore this jacket during World War I when he was with the 165th Infantry Regiment of the 42nd Division—renamed from the renowned "Fighting 69th" of New York’... More

William J. Donovan’s Eyeglass Case

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Les Marguerites Fleuriront ce Soir

by Jeffrey W. Bass.Oil on Canvas, 2006.Donated by Richard J. Guggenhime..When France fell under the Nazi boot in June 1940, Great Britain stood alone against the enemy. Fearing a similar fate for his country, ... More

William J. Donovan’s Whistle

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Monogrammed Leather Shoulder Bag

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Saddle Blanket

Office of Strategic Services Director William Donovan’s 165th Infantry saddle blanket from WWI....For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Boots

Office of Strategic Services Director William Donovan wore these boots during his pre-World War I service with the New York National Guard Calvary Troop....For more information on CIA history and this artifact ... More

William J. Donovan’s Saddle Bag

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Razor and Case

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Mirror and Case

For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

William J. Donovan’s Desk

Gen. Donovan used this desk while he was Director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII. OSS offices were located at 2430 E Street, NW, in Washington, DC....For more information on CIA history ... More

Distinguished Service Cross, William Donovan, WWI

William J. Donovan –Director of the Office of Strategic Services – received one of our countries highest honors while a lieutenant colonel with the 165th Infantry. On July 28-31, 1918 Donovan led his battalion... More

William J. Donovan’s Boot Hooks

Used to pull up tall cavalry boots....For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Miniature Volume of Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago

Copy of the original Russian-language edition of Doctor Zhivago, covertly published by the CIA. The front cover and the binding identify the book in Russian; the back of the book states that it was printed in ... More

Distortion Measuring Set

Atlantic Research Corporation’s distortion measuring set was used to analyze the percentage of distortion on a communications circuit in Bangkok. ..For more information on CIA history and this artifact please ... More

Concealed Compass

American servicemen going into harm’s way had a variety of ingenious places to hide small, even miniature, compasses for escape and evasion—in combs or razors, uniform buttons or, as seen here, in cufflinks. . ... More

Sculpted Clay Ear

Artistic skill and an eye for detail are needed when reproducing three-dimensional subjects like this, a "test" ear sculpted as part of the screening process for disguise-specialist applicants...For more inform... More

One of the Last Flags to Fly Over Checkpoint Charlie

The most famous crossing point between East and West during the Cold War, the iconic outpost in Berlin known as “Checkpoint Charlie” was a symbol of the post-World War II conflict between the Free World and the... More

CAT Notepad

Given as a souvenir to guests on CAT’s Mandarin Jet, this notepad includes a calendar from 1967. ..For more information on CIA history and these artifacts please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Eloise Page ID

Eloise Page began her intelligence career in 1942 as a secretary to OSS chief William Donovan. A Virginia native, she transferred to the newly formed CIA in 1947 and rose steadily through its ranks—while never ... More

FBIS Text Message Announcing Yugoslavian President Tito's Death

Filed on 4 May 1980 from the FBIS Austria Bureau, this message regards the Bucharest Radio announcement of President Tito’s death. It states:..“The LYC Central Committee of the presidium of the Socialist Feder... More

Advanced Flaps and Seals Kit

In this “flaps and seals” kit for advanced users, tools handmade of ivory in a travel roll were used for the surreptitious opening of letters and packages during the 1960s. ..For more information on CIA hist... More

Helms Letter

A future director’s note to his son. As Americans celebrated victory in Europe in May 1945, Office of Strategic Services (OSS) officer Richard Helms wrote this touching and eloquent letter to his young son on ... More

Letter from President Kennedy

President Kennedy wrote this letter to CIA Director John McCone commending the Agency for its role in the peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis...For more information on CIA history and this painting ... More

Machete

One of the most famous knife types in the world, the machete was quite capable of cutting its way through the dense jungles of Burma. Its lengthy blade could also deliver a devastating blow to an enemy. OSS acq... More

Minox B Camera

The ultra-light aluminum-shell Minox B was produced from 1958 to 1972. Because of its small size, it was easy to conceal. It could take excellent photographs of documents at close range and was a natural for se... More

FBIS Central Eurasia Program Mongolian Typewriter

A Mongolian typewriter used on the Central Eurasia Program of FBIS during the 1950s...For more information on CIA history and this painting please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

Gap Jumping Antenna Out of US Embassy in Moscow

What looked like a concrete ball was actually a “gap-jumping antenna” removed from one of the preformed concrete columns in the embassy office building. US investigators called it “gap-jumping” because it coupl... More

Golden Cigar Connector Out of US Embassy in Moscow

This gold- and silver-plated connector was an integral part of the collection system at the embassy office building. It was apparently placed near the top of a column in a dense rebar cage where items that refl... More

OSS Escape and Evasion Map

Printed on silk, which is durable, this map doesn’t rustle at night and can be folded up very compactly to be more easily concealed. The map is printed with waterproof dyes so the colors would not run if it got... More

First Sting, Afghanistan

Stuart Brown.2008.Oil on Canvas.Donated Courtesy of Richard J. Guggenhime and Donald Elster..First Sting depicts the turning point in the Afghan war with the first of many shoot-downs of Soviet helicopter gunsh... More

Irrawaddy Ambush

Stuart Brown.2010.Oil on Canvas.Donated Courtesy of Michael DeSombre...The painting depicts one of OSS Detachment 101’s many guerrilla operations staged to disrupt Japanese supply and reinforcement routes in Bu... More

Cast of a Few, Courage of a Nation

by James Dietz, .Oil on Canvas, 2008 .Donated by Alan Seigrist and Christopher Exline.Cast of a Few, Courage of a Nation commemorates the Intelligence Community’s collaborative paramilitary intelligence collect... More

The Airmen’s Bond

Keith Woodcock.2008.Oil on Canvas.Donated Courtesy of the Air America Association Board..When President Kennedy decided in 1961 to forcefully resist rising Communist aggression against the remote but strategica... More

Radio Receiver Concealment

A subminiature radio receiver is concealed in this modified pipe. The user hears the sound via "bone conduction" from the jaw to the ear canal...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please vis... More

FBIS Central Eurasia Report Glossary of Selected Russian Social Scienc...

FBIS Central Eurasia Report Glossary of Selected Russian Social Science Terms...For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov ( http://www.cia.gov )

“Studio Six Productions” Logo Items

To rescue six American diplomats who evaded capture during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran, on 4 November 1979, CIA technical specialists created a fake movie-production company in Holl... More

“Studio Six Productions” Portfolio

U-2 Film Canister

Original canister of U-2 film from one of the first flyovers of Russia on 5 July 1956. U-2 cameras had the finest lenses in the world and could see objects on the ground just two feet across from an altitude of... More

Saigon Evacuation Facilities Map, Instructions and List of Assembly Po...

Saigon Evacuation Facilities Map.By early 1975, the US had prepared for a possible evacuation from Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, then under threat from the North Vietnamese Army. This map identifies t... More

Woodsman's Pal Knife

An essential part of the survival kit for American forces in the Philippines, China and Burma, this knife was ideal for cutting through jungle brush. It also had potential as a combat knife—its manufacturer pro... More

A-12 Suit

A-12 pilots wore a type of protective pressure suit with thermal insulation, pressure control, cooling, and a life support system. The suit offered protection from heat radiating through the windshield and from... More

Ambush in Manchuria

Dru Blair.Mixed Media on Illustration Board, 2010.Donated Courtesy of Alan Seigrist.November 1950 marked the entry of Chinese Communist military forces into the Korean War. The Truman Administration tasked CIA ... More

Argo Ads and Articles in Variety

Artist’s Concepts for Argo

Argo Producer Notes

Former Soviet Pilot Viktor Belenko’s Military Identity Document

Soviet Lt. Viktor I. Belenko carried two personal items – this military identity document and a knee-pad notebook with flight data – on his dramatic flight to freedom in a MiG 25 Foxbat fighter from the USSR to... More

Former Soviet Pilot Viktor Belenko’s Knee Pad Notebook with Flight Dat...

Soviet Lt. Viktor I. Belenko carried two personal items – this knee-pad notebook with flight data and a military identity document – on his dramatic flight to freedom in a MiG 25 Foxbat fighter from the USSR to... More

Black Rhythm

Gene Davis.c.1964.Vincent Melzac Collection.Washington Color School.This is the Agency’s only work by Gene Davis, one of the most noted of the Washington Color School artists. In a conscious effort to “purify”... More

Civil Air Transport (CAT) "Lucky Dragon" Pin

Given as a souvenir to guests on CAT’s Mandarin Jet, the write-up that accompanied the pin states:..“This is one of the famous Oriental symbols of CAT (Civil Air Transport) – the five-toed dragon. In olden days... More

Tessina Camera Concealed in Cigarette Pack

Miniature spring-wound 35-mm film camera in a modified cigarette pack. The Tessina’s small size and quiet operation provided more options for concealment than most commercially available models....For more info... More

9/11 Commendation Bar

This service pin was awarded to the Agency’s Security Protective Service (SPS) officers who served during the period of heightened alert between 11 September 2001 and 24 March 2002 in recognition of their extra... More

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