Stealthy Street Photography | Czech Secret Police

[Hibbs]

In the 1970s and 80s the Czechoslovakian secret police, among other things, were charged with surveying the population without their consent or, for that matter, knowledge. Taking pictures from under coats or inside suitcases, the secret police kept tabs on the goings on of the general public. And while the act itself is voyeuristic and creepy, the pictures turned out surprisingly well.

All of the images are featured in a new book entitled Prague Though the Lens of the Secret Police published by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/04/24/street-photography-by-czechoslovakian-secret-police/

more images: http://www.vice.com/read/state-sponsored-voyeurism-935-v16n7

 

[huntjump]

You can see the photographer in the mirror in the first image you posted

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

A nice history of "Spy Cameras"
http://www.pimall.com/nais/nl/spyphotography.html

That page seems to have a number of inaccuracies, so I'd treat it with care.

 

[Haigh]

They are a strong reminder of what can happen to a country. I am aware that I am photographed a great many times any wher I go by the ubiquitous CCD cameras and basically have no privacy. Looks like a very interesting book. Thanks for posting the images.

 

[taylan]

It makes me think about the fate of the people in the photographs. Is there any information?

 

[sevo]

That page seems to have a number of inaccuracies, so I'd treat it with care.

It is either a hoax, a case of applied insanity or a con job, Superman back page style (the site operator seems to sell "detective documentaries").

At any rate it contains far more inaccuracies than accuracies - just about every identifiable photograph it claims to be a Daguerrotype is a Wet Plate, the odd Stasi modified Robot is the only "spy camera" on it among a pile of compact point and shoots (yes, even the Minox was, both by its makers intention and the market it had, firmly among the latter).

 

[hellomikmik]

It makes me think about the fate of the people in the photographs. Is there any information?

the people on photos were suspected (mostly) "internal enemies of the state" (not general public). mostly artists, philosophers, religious, etc... some are still alive of course, and still kind of connected to political scene in CR or SR.

there are files with detailed information about them, each shot is annotated with location, time, nickname of the subject, sometimes a map, description with action, etc...

personally i think the title of this thread is a really bad choice, it was not a "czech secret police". but anyway thanks to the OP to bring the subject. personally i think that the institute that published the book is doing a great job.

the book was published in 2008. info is somewhere at the bottom of this page:
http://www.ustrcr.cz/en/monographs

 

[taylan]

...personally i think that the institute that published the book is doing a great job. ...

I totally agree with you.

 

[Lax Jought]

Notwithstanding the sinister basis of these photos, I am always fascinated by vintage photos of an age gone by.