Spy Museum Adds 'Spectre' Artifacts to 'Exquisitely Evil' Collection of Limited Time

Special exhibition explores how the evildoers and their plots have changed to reflect their times and how James Bond has influenced the public’s perception of real espionage

WASHINGTON, DC, February 9, 2016—The International Spy Museum has added artifacts from the 24th film in the James Bond franchise, Spectre to its special exhibition, “Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains.”

Artifact highlights include: the silver SPECTRE ring, imprinted with the organization’s infamous octopus insignia worn by Dave Bautista’s henchman character Hinx; the terrifying chair Oberhauser used to torture Bond; the deadly metal thumbnails of Hinx; identification documents for members of the film’s Centre for National Security, “C”, and The Nine Eyes. Further, a selection of costumes have been placed on display to bring life to the film’s villainous characters, including the velvet Nehru jacket worn by Oberhauser, and Day of the Dead mask and white suit worn by henchman Sciarra as portrayed in the film’s opening scene.

In the film, a cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission where he uncovers the existence of the sinister organization known as SPECTRE, led by the infamous villain Blofeld.

The latest artifacts further extend the special exhibition’s homage to 007’s most memorable villains and how their plots and schemes compare and contrast to real world threats facing the intelligence community. 

The “Exquisitely Evil” exhibition initially opened to the public in November 2012 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the film franchise. It explores the power of the iconic series in shaping the public’s understanding of the world of espionage and enables visitors to make connections between the films’ villainous plots and the true events from which they were inspired—from DR. NO (1962) and the Cuban Missile Crisis, to SKYFALL (2012), SPECTRE (2015) and the threat of cyber espionage in the 21st Century. 

Artifacts featured in the exhibit are provided by London-based film production company EON Productions. Access to “Exquisitely Evil” is included in the General Admission ticket. 

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ABOUT EON PRODUCTIONS

EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, the copyright in the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films as well as all worldwide merchandising. EON Productions, an affiliate of Danjaq, is the UK based production company which makes the James Bond films. The 007 franchise is the longest running in film history with twenty-four films produced since 1962.  Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, SKYFALL and SPECTRE.

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ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM

The International Spy Museum is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage and intelligence. Open since July 2002, the Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. The mission of the International Spy Museum is to educate the public about espionage and intelligence in an engaging way and to provide a context that fosters understanding of their important role in and impact on current and historic events. The Museum's permanent collection chronicles the history of espionage, from its inception, to the modern day challenges facing intelligence professionals worldwide in the 21st Century. For more information, please visit www.spymuseum.org.