SpyCast

“Two Decades at the International Spy Museum” – with Anna Slafer

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Summary

Anna Slafer (LinkedIn, Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the history of the International Spy Museum. Anna was one of SPY’s first employees when the museum opened in 2002. 


What You’ll LearnIntelligence
  • Building the International Spy Museum
  • Milton Maltz: the visionary behind SPY 
  • The role of historians and curators 
  • Creating exhibits on espionage 


    • Reflections
    • Institutional memory and evolution
    • The challenges and joys of storytelling 

      • And much, much more …


      Quotes of the Week

      “We structured the museum so people could understand: How does [spying] work? Who does it? What is my role? And we wanted to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly.” – Anna Slafer.


      Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts*
      • The World’s Preeminent Collection of SPY Artifacts with Laura Hicken and Lauren VonBechmann (2024)
      • Secrets Revealed – Curators Alexis and Andrew on SPY’s Pop-Up Exhibit (2023)
      • Peter Earnest Memorial: Spook, CIA Spokesman, Spy Museum Director (2022)
        *Beginner Resources*
        • A look at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., FOX 5 Washington DC, YouTube (2023) [5 min. video]
        • About the Collection, International Spy Museum (n.d.) [Short article]
        • About Museums, American Alliance of Museums (n.d.) [Short Q&A]
          DEEPER DIVEArticles
          • Cracking the Spy Museum Code to Revitalize Stale Learning, J. A. Manning, Medium (2023)
          • A Reimagined Spy Museum in Washington Doesn’t Flinch From the Darker Side, S. Shane, The New York Times (2019)
          • From For-Profit to Nonprofit: Evolution of the International Spy Museum, E. Merritt, American Alliance of Museums (2019)
          • Spy Museum salutes '50 years of Bond Villains,' T. Wells, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (2012)
          • Role of museums in managing design education: a case study, H. Lee, International Journal of Education Through Art (2009)
          • Museum visitors hit the D.C. streets in spy game, B. Zongker, Seattle Times (2009)
            *Wildcard Resource*
            • Museums have been a critical element of community building and historical memory for centuries. 
            • One of the world’s first curators was a woman named Ennigaldi-Nanna from modern day Iraq. Dating from 530 B.C., Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum of Mesopotamian artifacts is thought to be the world’s oldest museum. 

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