Cold War Diplomacy (1945-1991)

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    Russian Nesting Dolls

    This set of Russian nesting dolls, also known as matryoshka dolls, depicts U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union Robert S. Strauss and various Soviet officials. Ambassador Strauss served first as ambassador to the Soviet Union (1991) and then became the ambassador to Russia (1991-1992) after the Soviet Union ceased to be. Foreign…

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    Framed Exequaturs

    Three framed exequaturs signed by Indonesian President Soeharto (Suharto), belonging to a family of U.S. Foreign Service Officers: father Robert Slutz (1970), daughter Pamela Slutz (1986), and husband Ronald Deutch (1986). An exequatur is a formal document signed by a country’s leader that recognizes the appointment of a foreign diplomat to serve…

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    INF "Hidden Missile" Mug

    In 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which required both parties to eliminate all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a certain striking range. The treaty included protocols regarding inspection of each other’s missile production and storage sites to ensure…

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    "Free At Last" Artwork

    This artwork was given to Bruce Laingen, one of the 52 American hostages held in Iran for 444 days from 1979-1981. It depicts President Jimmy Carter and the iconic symbol of the hope for the hostages’ safe release – a yellow ribbon – tied around a tree. One of a series of…

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    "State Department Murders" Novel

    "State Department Murders" novel by Edward Ronns, published in 1950. The story features fictional State Department officers and draws heavily on the environment of security fears and paranoia at the beginning of the Cold War in the late 1940s. During this time period, the “Lavender Scare” and McCarthyism resulted in the persecution…

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    Yellow Carpet Memento

    This unusual memento -- a square of yellow carpet -- was given to Michael Metrinko, one of the 52 hostages held in Iran for 444 days from 1979-1981. Framed in a shadowbox with a letter from the governor of New York as the backdrop, it is one example of the numerous letters,…

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    Order of Merit of Berlin

    This high German honor was presented to Ambassador Harry Gilmore, U.S. Minister to Berlin, in 1991 for “outstanding contributions to the state of Berlin.” The medallion is in the shape of the Maltese cross with the coat of arms of Berlin in center. Gilmore was the last person to occupy the position.…

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    Portable X-Ray Machine

    X-Ray machines aren’t just used in hospitals and airports, they’re also a crucial tool used by the Diplomatic Security Service to detect threats to U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. This portable x-ray kit, manufactured in 1970s, was used by DSS Technical Security Officers to look for espionage devices, explosives, and other…

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    Podium Seal from U.S Interests Section Havana

    After U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations were severed in 1961, the U.S. maintained a presence in Havana through an Interests Section from 1977 to 2015. The U.S. and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, when both countries elevated their respective Interests Sections to Embassy status. This metal seal emblem, measuring about 12”…

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    Kerosene Slide & Film Projector

    This kerosene-powered projector from the U.S. Embassy in Singapore is an unusual device dating to the 1950s. It was used by diplomats, particularly those focused on public diplomacy efforts, to show slides or film strips to groups of people in areas with limited or no electricity.