Former CIA Chief of Disguise Breaks Down Cold War Spy Cameras | WIRED
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2024
- During the Cold War, surveillance in Moscow was the most difficult kind of surveillance that the US had encountered around the globe. There are lots of was to collect intelligence, and cameras were former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez's favorite. Jonna talks about all the different photography methods US spies used during the Cold War, from carrier pigeons holding tiny cameras to a variety of different spy cameras that could be hidden in pens, ties and pocketbooks.
Check out Jonna Mendez’s most recent book The Moscow Rules or find more information about her on her website on www.themasterofdisguise.com/
Moscow Rules: www.amazon.com/gp/product/154...
Archival images courtesy of the International Spy Museum (SPY) in Washington, DC, a Guinness World Record recognized nonprofit with the largest collection of spy artifacts in the world. At the Museum, you can see firsthand some of these spy gadgets: www.spymuseum.org/
Additional Archival Images Courtesy of:
Images of Tolkachev are courtesy of a family friend, from The Billion Dollar Spy. You can find out more about the book here: www.davidehoffman.com/
Image of Matchbox Camera courtesy of the CIA, who does not endorse the contents of this production.
Interspectral: / @interspectral1244
Getty
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
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Former CIA Chief of Disguise Breaks Down Cold War Spy Cameras | WIRED 
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![[n월의 석진] Message from Jin : May 2024 💌](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lupA4JxKA-4/mqdefault.jpg)
Knowing me, I would lose the microdot trying to put it on the lens
Somehow I just know I'd end up swallowing at least 1 microdot.
@@informal_variant "Well, Agent... you know were you need to look for your microdot now..."
@@gabrielvanderschmidt2301 **“The hub” intro plays**
**confused screaming**
When u drop the weed nug
Johnny english would do that
Jonna Mendez needs her own channel, like yesterday.
Agreed
Her lectures are quite enjoyable. If ya don't already follow the International Spy Museum channel, ya might wanna check it out.
Yes!
She already has one, if you can find out what her disguise is.
@@dennisqin3261 She's been Philip Defranco this whole time.
With how old this technology is, I can’t imagine what they’re using today. People say “birds aren’t real” I wonder how many really aren’t.
.... birds are real.
*or are they?*
@@tigerguy760 *Vsauce music starts playing*
@@AnimeFan-wd5pq *Hey Vsauce, Micheal here*
hide, quick!! the CIA, ICE, FBI, and THE SECRET SERVICE are after you. you figured their birds out
feels like y'all think birds are real, *foolishness*
I wonder how many agents dropped the dot and spent hours looking for it on the floor
Almost none because they are well trained
@@zanik8326 lol I think that might’ve happened anyway
@@midorana2902 thats why I said almost none
@@zanik8326 quite a lot since that doesn’t prevent anything considering it’s a tiny easily blown piece of paper and it’s not a big deal since you can just pick it back up.
@@zanik8326 well trained police officers still miss almost 70% of the time so 🤷♂️
That microdot is literally incredible! Can’t believe something like that existed at those times
I was blown away, and then some when she said it was waterproof. Or more specifically, put the stamp in some water, and it will come off. I’d assume that would include the microdot.
incredible!!! I've never herd of that before. amazing
No, no. It ENTERED at those times! ;)
@@caseylocke4474 maybe they meant existed?
exist*
Somewhere an old Russian army guard "of course it was the f*cking pigeon."
Russian guard: HA HA!! Look at pigeon with camera! It's dressed like news reporter for Pravda!
stolen
dude I'm russian and though I hadnt excisted during the Cold war I feel... betrayed and frightened heh
@Alex Daniel yeah everyone knows everything
Hahaha I was thinking exactly the same when I saw the photo!
It’s scary that they had that tech that long ago imagine what they have now
now they have quantum dots and real fake birds.
@@tigerguy760 r/birdsarentreal
Yea now we all have cameras, microphone, and gps on our person.
Christopher Knox yes that scary, like click on a link and you can be monitored by your phone, the rest of your life, or rather your phone’s
...You know this video you clicked on was a link?
Its better to not know
This woman is so incredibly inspiring and such a joy to listen to her speak. Her stories are absolutely fascinating.
you can only imagine what she couldn't tell or show us
Oh its 666 likes, and it is indeed sounds nice to hear
@@twddersharkmarine7774 Oh goodness, 666 my favorite number.
Shell be a great audiobook reader for this stuff.
What about 333 only Half evil
This lady is always a lot of fun. Keep bringing her back, please.
Shes The Female James Bond, So Cool How Smart these tactics are
@@altalt3367 No, she's Joanna Mendez. Maybe you meant James Bond is the male Joanna Mendez
@@altalt3367 She's the Q. Not Bond
I love when videos with Jonna get uploaded she’s a delight to listen to
Agreed, she brings levity to some rather dark subject matter. Equal parts adorable gran and spycraft expert.
I agree!!
I need that microdot technology for my final exams!
so truuuue
Just whip out a lens and a big of cardboard on the middle of the exam. If only
Turn it into a contact lens and you’ll never get caught! 😂
@@Willam_J They almost certainly use contact lenses now. It's probably a contact lens with a small slot where the pupil would be that you can place the dot into.
@@hsiang7 probably what (super important) public speakers can use when they have hr long presentations to give and whatnot
THEY ACTUALLY USED PIGEONS?!?!
birds aren’t real...they’re just spies for the government
@@chickensoup1807 apparently
Chicken Soup I raise over 500+pigeons
@@4teenjelo128 nice, now you have over 500 spy cameras at your disposal!
Yeah my poses in public was worth it
Fun Fact: Jonna's in disguise the entire time she shoots these.
Very original and funny joke.
@@carminemartino1197 Is it a joke tho?
Shhht. Don't tell anyone, but her real name is Jesus Mendez (a very bad hombre).
She’s actually the chameleonic actor Daniel Day Lewis
She was the pigeon.
I'm amazed by the microdot
Same. I feel like it could be easily reproduced these days and would love to see it available, for people to make and buy...
@@boarbot7829 i believe a similar concept is being used in rings that say "i love you" in hundreds of different languages. I seen ads for it before
@@ThePLAsticBoxxx I know, but those are with shining light right?
Just watch as they make a camera the size of a micro millimeter
Forget Microdot, Welcome Micron
@@NoNo-rj2hl Considering how small phone camera sensors are. I have no doubt there are smaller ones that provide DSLR (or better) quality photos.
Yeah. A high megapixel phone camera isn't as detailed as a lower megapixel dedicated camera. Excluding the now extinct point and shoots.
that microdot method is absolutely insane
That microdot method is actually insane
The Microdot...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! We actually had that kind of technology back then?! How in the world did they have technology advanced enough at that time to print distinct letters that didn't bleed together in such a tiny space??? I find this absolutely incredible! Can you even imagine what we have these days that won't be revealed for another 50 years or whatever?
calm redditor
It's not printed. Essentially, you photograph the document and then project the image backwards through a microscope: you project the image through the eyepiece and that exposes film where the microscope slide would be.
@@beeble2003 thanks! So basically physics
yeah but it is depressing that we haven't been able to use all this technology to prevent mad people with daddy issues starting wars and blowing places up.. i think we need more weapon disabling innovations
@@RodrigoCh That's the same technology electronic chips were made since the 60s. Those nanometer transistor sizes (well, micrometer back then) are achieved the same way. I bet they could put even more text in there, however reading lens would have to be bigger and more sophisticated.
Imagine taking a photo in a meeting while undercover and all of a sudden the flash goes off because you forgot to turn it off... 🔪😵
there would be no flash because they were made to be unseen or heard.
"It was indoor lightning."
I love Jonna so much. She has such an endearing voice that makes you feel like you're listening to grandma's stories, but she's also a tough ex-CIA member. Love love love
Maybe the coolest grandma out there. :D
there is no such thing as an ex-CIA agent
Ikr
This scares me I mean the things we see here was done in the 60s and just imagine what they're capable or rn
@@DavidRobinson-ou8fh only my mother would know because mothers just know these things I guess
@@DavidRobinson-ou8fh you mean I wouldn’t even know?
We give everything away on our social media anyways.
60s through to the 80s.
She needs a movie where it’s starts as her speaking as an older woman then transitioning in to a flash back of the whole movie of her life. Then the movie end by her closing a book and smiling fading in to the dark
Yes, I agree!
That's so cliche that Netflix will love it
they'd have to include her husband Tony... they already made one of his books into a Best Picture winner, Argo. He already has a full autobiography that could be adapted.
So... Titanic but spy R&D
No she does not
We not going to talk about whos taking the photos of them taking photos?
Pigeons 🐦🐦🐦😂😂
So, this is how the FBI/CIA pigeons meme started
What really surprised me is how, way back then, they could get photos in focus. Like, today if you take a "spy" photo with your Iphone and it's not still, the pic will come out blurry enough not to be able to read documents. These photos are sharp and centered. If you were to take that body cam and take a photo, you'd have to look a little awkward standing completely still at a weird angle taking the photo.....
It's because of exposure time. The iPhone will say "it's dark here" and use a slow shutter speed, which means that any motion will blur the photograph. The cameras these guys were using had a fixed shutter speed, so they'd take dark photographs if it was dark, and this would be corrected in development.
The microdot actually surprised me beyond belief.
"The pigeons must have looked absolutely innocent."
Camera zooms in on the photo pigeon's beady eyes and shakes while suspenseful music plays in the background.
Me: Oh, yeah. Totally innocent, I'm sure.
In his old age she's still professional on telling a story, I can't just imagine on how skilled she is in her prime.
Old age? How old do you think she is?
@@spartygirl121 she's 77
Good god this series with Jonna is AMAZING.
Also... that microdot stuff. I want to see one of those!
We need a Jonna Mendez video weekly. Give the people what they want!
I've sold the same homing pigeon 15 times.
rswingman My schizophrenic friend tells me he keeps running into the same spy pigeons.
@@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive are you sure the schizophrenia isn't just a cover?
When a pigeon can take a better photo than me.
imagine she was like “theres many ways to conceal those cameras- actually im wearing one right now”
These videos are some of the most interesting on whole RUclips!! Please do more! Absolutely love them!!
We asked for more of Jonna and you supplied. KEEP THEM COMING! We want even more! :) :) Thank you so much! This woman is AMAZING. She'd be making big bucks if she had her own channel.
“Photo Operations Officer”
So... a POO?
The guy who zoomed in the "innocent pigeon"
Just wish she would have explained how they got the info onto the microdot.. otherwise another amazing segment
You can look it up on Wikipedia. But, basically, you take a photograph of the document, and then project the negative backwards through a microscope onto a second piece of film. A large image at the eyepiece corresponds to a tiny image where the slide would be.
The Tessina Camera was also commonly used by the Stasi. It was available in different versions. Noiseless without a spring motor, noise reduced with nylon gears etc....
Jonna needs some sort of documentary or docu series. Everything she talks about is so fascinating!
These are my favorite videos on this channel, hands down. Please bring her back regularly!!!
“It was fabulous” her story telling is world class.
This video was super well-edited. Good stuff.
I love her videos and re-watch them constantly. Thank you for working with her for these videos!
Anything: exists
CIA: I can put a camera in that
Remember a few years ago when there were memes going around about pigeons being cameras?! Welp, it’s not a conspiracy anymore.
POV: its 3 am but you found something to watch before you resort to road rage videos
We need more of her stories, they are simply amazing.
She exudes badassery
I'm obsessed with this series and Mrs. Mendez. More, please!
God, I love these videos with her.
"They will always come back"
How could you forget British world war hero Speckled Jim? :(
Thank You for sharing these Images and Descriptions I for Years have been reading Non Fiction Spy Books and watching videos now I finally can see what I have been reading about!
My dad used to raise homing pigeons for racing. My grandfather used them in WWII to send messages. In the middle east they still use them to secretly send messages.
It's very interesting of a topic that not a lot of people know about.
Love watching Jonna Mendez! I could listen to her stories all day! It would be cool is they had her in some documentaries!
I think she just blew my mind with the microdot because HOW
Roughly speaking, you photograph the document, and then project the negative backwards through a microscope onto another piece of film. The large image at the eyepiece corresponds to a tiny image where the slide would be.
Loved Such Informative Video❕
I adore this woman's insights. I went to the spy museum when I was a kid. I wish I appreciated it more back then
i’m a simple person, i see jonna, i click
Thumbs up for this BOSS of an amazing woman.
I cannot get enough of this! I need MORE AND MORE AND MORE! Very interesting and fascinating.
Always Happy to see another video of hers
I love these spy videos with Jonna Mendez! Please keep making more.
Amazing update..!! Best 8 minutes spent this month..!! :)
The microdot bit was amazing...so intricate and genius.
I’ve watched many of the Wired interviews and Jonna Mendez has to be my favorite. Such an interesting topic.
*"You can put a camera anywhere"*
Little known fact: Some had to infiltrate NASA and were instructed
to put a camera in Uranus.
🥁
*budumpbump*
BOOOOO
Did anyone hear the guys statement about a week ago in Unsolved Mysteries? And I quote:
“Scientists confirm that Uranus smells like garbage” endquote. I have rarely if ever laughed so hard...
Love Jonna! Please have her on more often, she's fascinating.
I love these videos, keep em coming!
These videos are incredible! She is the most interesting person on here. I could watch these all day.
Jonna Mendez is amazing and I love her. The stories she can tell are so interesting that it makes me want to hear the ones she _can't_ tell
Told ya pigeons are spy cameras
i could listen to her talk forever please make more videos with her
Please keep this series up with her
We have our own pigeons too, I use them to go get KFC in Seoul since we don't have it here
I'm surprised you didn't eat them all!
That's an amazing story Supreme leader, RUclips is jealous which is why you only have 40 thumbs up, they deleted the other 3 million thumbs up. We're not worthy
Dude, let’s be real. A single pigeon couldn’t carry the amount of KFC you’d require. For that you would need a 747. Maybe disguised as a pigeon?
@@jackdurden466 Don't be silly, the pigeons only need to be strong enough to bring back enough batter to coat itself. Pigeons are so loyal to supreme leader that they will pluck themselves, roll in the batter they stole, and cook themselves fresh for glorious leader.
I could honesty listen to this woman talk about being a spy for hours, can we get an hour long special so i can listen while i go to sleep???
Yes!! Thank you. I just watched Jonna Mendez breaking down 30 spy movies video
I believe the microdot viewing lens was called a "bullet” lens or Stanhope lens. (Maybe the lens crafter was Stanhope). I think Fresnel lenses are the ones with the circular ridges like those used in lighthouses.
They were invented by the Earl of Stanhope. I think you're right -- Fresnel lenses are flat.
That was epic, Jonna, you present these topics and the technology in such a masterful and fluid way.
Whenever people talk derogatorily or disrespectfully about old people I think of someone as impressive as this woman.
We keep forgetting that people stay great, impressive and good or despicable and bad no matter age. Also we keep forgetting how invaluable solid life experience is.
Wow!!! I could listen to her all day!! Micro dot and that pen camera was amazing!!!!
WOW - this is wonderful ingenuity and Jonna is such a compelling speaker. Thank you for sharing : - )
imagine what kind of technology they have now, today
fricking amazing
Keep this spy series going its so interesting
Fun fact: the Tessina camera was actually the camera featured in some of the missions on Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's campaign
I like Ms. Mendez. With both movie critiques and presentations on old practices and technologies, she's natural, clear, and interesting. She's an asset to RUclips
DONT END THIS SERIES
I thought microdots were just Mission Impossible jargon
No, they're a real thing, invented in the 1800s and refined in the 1920s.
Love every video with Jonna!
I just found this channel, and I’m sooooo glad I did
Seriously I wish Jonna had more videos. Yet I understand that there’s probably far too much classified information that she could never share with anyone, especially RUclips. I just love learning about this stuff and my childhood dream was to join the CIA or FBI.
CIA to the Pigeons after building ones with Cameras inside them:
I don't wanna play with you anymore
MORE PLEASE
I was really hoping she was going to say that the matchbox camera had room in it for a few real matches so as to avoid awkward situations:
"Oh, I see you've got a matchbox there, can you spare one?"
"No, I'm sorry. I'm- uh, I'm all out. I just remembered."
* tucks camera back into pocket *
That's okay, I can iterate on the idea in a piece of writing sometime, and make it so. :)
Please make A BILLION more videos with her
Still am the only one thinking that what Is Their present advancement camera in a hair 😂
I love the aesthetic of the table. It gives detective vibe, old yet still smart.
fascinating!
The most impressive part of this is that these are OLD tactics.
See I knew the birds worked for the bourgeoisie
I had a minolta camera, very similar to the Minox camera. It used 16mm film.
more please