[Leica] Minox camera used by spies.

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

Thanks for setting me straight Larry. I hope I don't have to stare at the
black twirling mind erase thing now I got stuff I have to do tomorrow I need
to know what my name is.


Mark William Rabiner
Photography



> From: Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:06:49 -0400
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: [Leica] Mnox camera used by spies.
> 
> Mark writes:
> "Even spies didn't use them (i.e. Minox cameras.)"
> - - - -
> Not so Mark.
> Do a Google search for "Minox camera used by spies." The first ten articles
> cited confirm that the Minox camera was issued to the intelligence services
> of many countries. The details and, in many cases, the names of the spies
> that used them, are listed. Jamed Bond is not on the list. The OSS was the
> first big importer of Minox cameras in the US. In 1947 it bought 47 Riga
> Minox cameras to issue to its agents. Navy spy Walker used a Minox camera 
> to
> copy secret documents and code manuals. The CIA, in its museum in its
> Langley, VA headquarters exhibits a Minox camera as one of its major spy
> cameras. Many countries prohibited sales of Minox camera to civilians under
> the assumption that only spies used them. On a personal note, in 1957, at
> the height of the Cold War, I was detained by military authorities when I
> entered a restricted area forgetting that I had a Minox camera in my
> briefcase. I was released and the camera returned only when the developed
> film showed nothing but images of my wife and children. There were other
> cameras that were used as spy cameras but none was as high a quality and as
> easily concealable as the Minox.
> - and so on.
> Larry Z
> 
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