As clunky as they may seem now, these objects were novelties used by covert intelligence operatives in the middle of the twentieth century. More impressive might be a ring camera, similar to the one that appears in the 1985 James Bond flick, A View to a Kill. https://www.artandobject.com/articles/kgb-spy-gadgets-fought-cold-war-go-auction
@estherschindler Cool!