The Richard Brisson Collection
November 2003 - January 2005

For over seven decades, heroes of radio, television and movies have captured children’s imaginations. During the 1930s through the mid 1950s, children would join their hero’s fan clubs and receive “secret” manuals and code devices used to interact with the hero while the show was on air. Today children can still purchase “secret” code devices mass marketed whenever a new action hero movie is released. These “secret toys” have become a fascinating part of Americana and are highly prized collectables.

Image: Picture of the Radio Toys exhibit case

Image: Picture of the Radio Toys exhibit case

This temporary exhibit displays dozens of toy code and cipher devices dating from 1929 to the early 1980s. A few examples of items on display are complete sets of Radio Orphan Annie and Captain Midnight manuals and brass decoders, a Tom Mix Six-Gun Brass Decoder Badge, a Dick Tracy Secret Code Book, an Indiana Jones Adventure Expedition Guide Decoder, a 1929 Pie-O-Gram Code Book, a Mr. Wizard ‘s Crypto Coder/Decoder and a James Bond Code-O-Matic.

Image: Picture of the Radio Toys exhibit caseThanks to the generosity of Mr. Richard Brisson, of Ottawa, Canada, the National Cryptologic Museum will display his unique collection of cryptologic toys until January 2005.