A briefcase abandoned by the notorious Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in 1951 is among the newly unveiled MI5 artefacts on display at The National Archives in Kew, south-west London. The exhibition, MI5: Official Secrets, marks a historic collaboration between the intelligence agency and The National Archives, offering the public an unprecedented look into classified files and rare items from MI5’s private collection.
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Among the key exhibits is Burgess’s leather briefcase, embossed with his initials and left behind at London’s Reform Club during his escape to the Soviet Union. Also on display is his British passport, shown to the public for the first time. Burgess, a British diplomat and Soviet double agent, was part of the infamous Cambridge Five spy ring, which included Donald Maclean, with whom he fled in 1951. Despite their espionage activities, none of the group was ever prosecuted. Another striking exhibit is a 110-year-old lemon used by German spy Karl Muller to write secret messages in invisible ink during the First World War.
The exhibition also sheds light on MI5’s less-publicised moments, including a note detailing how Queen Elizabeth II reacted “very calmly and without surprise” upon learning that her art advisor, Anthony Blunt, was a Soviet agent. The collection features a range of historical items, from MI5’s first-ever surveillance camera to a key to the Communist Party of Great Britain’s Westminster branch office. More modern artefacts include a Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) mortar bomb and a reconstructed explosive device made from an instant camera and a bottle.
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Sir Ken McCallum, MI5’s Director General, emphasised the importance of transparency, stating that while much of the agency’s work remains secret, the exhibition reflects a commitment to openness, including acknowledging past failures. Historian Mark Dunton, who curated the exhibition, highlighted the public’s enduring fascination with espionage and praised MI5’s willingness to engage with historical transparency. MI5: Official Secrets runs from 5 April to 28 September at The National Archives in Kew, with free admission.
