International Spy Museum

*NEW* #SpyCast - The National Intelligence Council with Michael Collins. Michael joins SPY Historian and Curator Andrew Hammond to discuss the National Intelligence Council. Michael is the NIC’s current acting chair. You'll learn about... ➡️ The role of the National Intelligence Council ➡️ National Intelligence Officers and their work around the world ➡️ The products of the NIC, including the Annual Threat Assessment ➡️ The importance of Intelligence Diplomacy and objective analysis Available at https://bit.ly/3VKmkjb or wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

It's opening day at #Wimbledon! 🎾 In honor of the start of this annual tennis tournament, we are spotlighting an artifact that is sure to cause a racket. 😉 #SpyArtifact - KGB Concealment in Tennis Racket Handle, USSR, ca. 1970s - 1980s. This racket could conceal a number of small items such as poison, notes, and more!

Did you know there was an 18th century spy who was transgender? The life of the Chevalier d'Éon, a celebrated 18th century French diplomat and spy, defied gender norms in remarkable ways. Born in 1728, d'Éon excelled in the military before serving as a clandestine agent. After being sent to London, rumors spread that d'Éon, assigned male at birth, was actually a woman. From 1777 onwards, d'Éon began presenting as a woman while still maintaining popularity through fencing exhibitions and writings. Upon their death in 1810 at age 81, it was revealed d'Éon had lived as both man and woman. 📸 : Thomas Stewart

Today in #SpyHistory: On June 27, 2010, the FBI arrested 10 Russian "illegals," operating undercover including Anna Chapman. The group were deep-cover Russian operatives in the US. They included four couples who had been paired in Moscow. Some were first sent to countries such as Canada to build their “legend” before coming to the US. On arrival, they enrolled in schools, found jobs, had children. They lived as ordinary Americans. Except they weren’t. Dubbed #OperationGhostStories, the case against these “illegals”—a term for intelligence agents operating in the U.S. without diplomatic cover—lasted for more than a decade. All pleaded guilty. It was one of the greatest counterintelligence successes in FBI history. See their original handcuffs along with false US birth certificate created by Russian intelligence on display in the Museum's The Spy Next Door exhibit. 📷 : @jhmcreationz

*NEW* #SpyCast - "The Real James Bond Cars with Top Gear's Jason Barlow Jason joins SPY Historian and Curator, Andrew Hammond to discuss the iconic James Bond vehicles. Jason is the longstanding editor-at-large at BBC Top Gear. You'll learn about: 🚗 How the “Bond car” phenomenon came to be 🚗 Ian Fleming’s love for cars 🚗 The different “nationalities” of Bond cars 🚗 What it’s like to be behind the wheel of some of these iconic cars Listen now at https://bit.ly/45qP9FN or wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

#TodayinSpyHistory - On June 23rd, 1912, Alan Turing, a genius codebreaker and computer science pioneer whose invaluable contributions transformed our world, was born in London. This #PrideMonth, we celebrate Turing's brilliance in cracking the Nazi Enigma code at Bletchley Park during WWII, shortening the war and saving an estimated 14 million lives. He also conceived the core concepts behind modern computing and AI decades before they became reality. Sadly, Turing was cruelly persecuted for being gay by the country he helped save, forced to undergo hormone treatment in 1952. At just 42 years old, this extraordinary cryptanalyst took his own life. Let's honor Turing's revolutionary legacy in fields like codebreaking and computability theory that still shapes technology today.

🚨Mission Alert! The Spy Museum is hiring! The following positions are available: ➡️ Major Gifts Officer ➡️ Guest Services Operative ➡️ Event Captain ➡️ Security Do you have what it takes? Explore our Careers page for more intel. https://lnkd.in/ddUqzX2

Interested in espionage stories? Would you like to contribute to the museum community? The Spy Museum's Webster Docent Corps is on the hunt for its inaugural team of volunteers! As a docent, you'll walk guests through our key exhibits, sharing the rich stories behind the world's most comprehensive collection of spy artifacts. Are you ready to accept you mission? Make sure to apply before the deadline of June 28, 2024. For more details, visit: https://bit.ly/4a1RmrC

#TodayinSpyHistory - On June 20, 1949, the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 was signed. This law authorized CIA to secretly fund intelligence operations and conduct personnel actions outside of standard US Government procedures. It also exempts the CIA from having to disclose its organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed. https://bit.ly/3X6OdnX

Cheers, agents! 🥂 It's #NationalMartiniDay! Be sure to lift your glass to Bond, James Bond and enjoy your martini #shakennotstirred. 😉