Photographer Francis Miller shooting presidential beagles on White House lawn. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Photographer Francis Miller shooting presidential beagles on White House lawn. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

James Bond could not have concealed a camera with more finesse. Francis Miller (1905-1973) hid them in cigarette cases, camouflaged them with neckties and carved out the pages of a copy of The Best Known Novels of George Eliot to encase his lens. His agility with a surreptitious camera was so well-known, a colleague once blew his cover by yelling to him. “Hey, Miller. where you got the camera hid this time?”

Adapted from The Great LIFE Photographers

Orphaned brothers watching a TV set for the first time. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Orphaned brothers watching a TV set for the first time. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Model demonstrating the Aqua Bobber. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Model demonstrating the Aqua Bobber. (Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

The watermelon stripe baby Tapir stretching out beside the older family member at the Brookfield zoo.(Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

The watermelon stripe baby Tapir stretching out beside the older family member at the Brookfield zoo.(Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

More Like This

Charlie Chaplin on the set of his film "Limelight," 1952. (Photo by W. Eugene Smith/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

W. Eugene Smith

Watching a high ball during baseball game. (Photo by Mark Kauffman/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Mark Kauffman

Owner of the foam rubber store, Forcite, Inc., Victor Sabatino questioning a Chicago administrative manager Herman Horowitz. (Photo by Grey Villet/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Grey Villet

"False sunset" during the Blitz, with Tower Bridge silhouetted against burning docks, London, 1940. (Photo by William Vandivert/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

William Vandivert

Propeller turbulence photographed in stroboscopic light as water passes the torpedo. (Photo by Al Fenn/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Al Fenn

Imperial Dam in California. (Photo by Horace Bristol/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Horace Bristol