From a camera hidden in a matchbox to one camouflaged as a pocket watch for covert operations, these devices show the ingenious designs of yesteryear, some dating back to the 1880s. Some of these special cameras were made to look like a book, a packet of cigarettes, binoculars, radio player and even a handgun. One of the more intriguing pieces is the cigarette camera, designed after World War II but never mass-produced. Another fascinating find is the Lucky Strike Spy Camera, developed for the US Signal Corps between 1949 and 1950 by the Mast Development Corp. This camera was designed to fit inside the outer wrapper of a packet of Lucky Strike cigarettes. Despite its small size, it was capable of taking 18 shots of 16mm still photographs with varying shutter speeds. However, it never saw widespread use and remained an obscure piece of history. In the 1950s, two cameras were created for police use in Japan, both based on pistols. The original Doryu gun camera failed to gain traction due to its use of 9.5mm film instead of the more common 16mm format. By the time it was updated, officers had already switched to the rival Mamiya pistol camera, which was eventually discontinued as well. Among the collection is the oldest and most valuable camera, an 1886 Ladies-Pattern Patent Watch Camera made by J. Lancaster and Son from Birmingham. This camera was a true masterpiece, cleverly disguised as a pocket watch but opening up to reveal a hidden camera inside. The camera collection was auctioned a few years ago at Bonhams, where Jon Baddeley, the expert, commented: “The origins of these secret cameras goes back to the 19th century when 99.9 percent of photographs taken were stuffy portraits. There was very little in the way of reportage photographs, and if you wanted to capture photos of people acting naturally you had to be discreet about it. It was thought very offensive to just take out a camera and start taking photographs of people. Inventors starting coming up with numerous ways of concealing cameras in day-to-day objects like books, wrist watches and even rings. While a lot of them were mere novelties some were developed for James Bond-esque espionage. The US Signal Corps came up with a camera just after WWII that was hidden in a packet of Lucky Strike cigarettes, while the police in Japan had several made which looked like a pistol. Unsurprisingly many of these cameras were commercial failures and so very few were made, but that is precisely what gives them their value now. The irony is that now we conceal cameras in our telephones and photography has never been more popular. The majority of these cameras have come from a single collector who has pieced together an incredible archive over the years which really sheds light on an aspect of photography that many won’t be aware of.” (Photo credit: Bonhams / Daily Mail UK / Wikimedia Commons). Notify me of new posts by email.
Δ Subscribe
