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International Spy Museum, Washington, DC
What is espionage (spying)?
Espionage (spying) is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information without the knowledge of the person in possession of, or responsible for, that information. It is a type of intelligence gathering done in a clandestine or secret manner by an individual or a government.
The International Spy Museum in Washington, DC is the only museum in the United States dedicated solely to espionage. The museum presents worldwide information about spying in a non-judgmental, apolitical manner, and doesn't focus upon any one country's point of view or ideology.
Brief History of Spying (Espionage)
The recorded history of espionage (spying) can be traced to both ancient China and ancient India. The writing of military strategists Sun-Tzu (circa 476 to 221 BC) from China and Chanyaka (circa 370 to 283 BC) from India both contain information about subversion and deception. The writing of Chandragupta Maurya, Chanyaka’s pupil, discusses the use of secret agents. The Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans all used spies. The Mongols used spies in the 13th and 14th centuries. Ninja were used as spies in feudal Japan.
In more modern times, the former Soviet Union preferred using people as spies, and the United States relied on technology.
The two videos which follow will give you an idea of what the International Spy Museum contains.
The International Spy Museum's Mission
The International Spy Museum's mission is to provide a non-judgmental global perspective on espionage, to educate the public about the importance of espionage’s role in world history.
The museum —located in downtown Washington, DC on F Street, NW (northwest)—is one of the few museums in Washington, DC which charges an entrance fee. The reason for there being a fee is that it is a private museum, not affiliated with any United States or foreign government agency or organization. The museum neither receives any government funding nor any money from tax revenue.
Visitor
| Entrance Fee
|
---|---|
Ages 12 to 64
| $19.95
|
Age 65 and older, Military, Law Enforcement
| $15.95
|
Ages 7 to 11
| $14.94
|
Age 6 and younger
| Free
|
Museum members
| Free
|
Open daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
800 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
20004
Phone: 202.EYE.SPYU
E-Mail: info@spymuseum.org
Exhibits
The International Spy Museum, in development for more than seven years before it opened on July 19, 2002, does not permit any type of cameras in the exhibit areas—neither still nor video. Many of the artifacts exhibited in the museum are on loan, and images cannot be produced without the permission of the object's owner.
I went to the TripAdvisor Web site to read reviews of the museum which visitors had posted. I wanted to learn which artifacts and exhibits visitors had enjoyed the most.
Many people mentioned the lipstick pistol. This was an item apparently used by KGB— Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti (Committee for State Security)—espionage agents from the former Soviet Union in the 1960s. It’s a single-shot pistol which looks like a tube of lipstick.
Many people also mentioned the pigeon camera. During World War I, cameras were attached to carrier pigeons. The pigeons were released over enemy territory, and the cameras snapped images continuously. When the pigeons reached their destinations, the film was developed and the images interpreted.
An exhibit which opened in 2012—which will remain open until 2014—is Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains. Some of the museum's artifacts associated with James Bond are Jaws’ teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldfinger’s golf shoes, the Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger, Zao’s Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day, and Silva's laptop from Skyfall.
Have you ever visited Washington, DC?
Is the International Spy Museum a museum you would like to visit?
More about James Bond
Mohan Kumar, who publishes articles for HubPages using the name Docmo, has written two articles commemorating the 50 years of James Bond films.
- Bond 50: Fifty Fascinating Facts about James Bond #1
Bond, James Bond. The iconic agent made his debut in 1962 with the arrival of Dr No. 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond in celluloid. To celebrate this anniversary, I've compiled my own 50 fascinating facts about the suave Brit. - Bond 50: Fifty Fascinating Facts about James Bond #2
Bond, James Bond. The iconic agent made his debut in 1962 with the arrival of Dr No. 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond in celluloid. To celebrate this anniversary, I've compiled my own 50 fascinating facts about the suave Brit.