"Spy, subminiature and detective cameras have long held a fascination for collectors and the general public alike, who often associate these cameras with the Cold War period of the 1950s. The desire to make small and disguised cameras, however, goes back much further, as far as the 1860s - although it was not until the more sensitive plates of the 1880s and, later, rollfilms were developed that subminiature cameras began to appear in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Many such cameras are still being made for covert use and industrial espionage" -- Dust jacket.
Cameras by Country -- Disguised cameras.