Collection Spotlight

No matter how big or small, every artifact tells a story. While only a fraction of the objects and images in the Museum's collection, these eye-catching artifacts capture significant moments in the history of drugs and drug law enforcement.

The life mask of Pablo Escobar.

Pablo Escobar Life Mask

The life mask of notorious drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, a deceased leader of the Medellín Cartel.

large bamboo smoking pipe

Opium Pipe

A green and cream-colored ceramic opium pillow.

Opium Pillow

A ceramic headrest used by people who smoked opium.

Opium Packing Stamp

Opium Packing Stamp

An opium packing stamp used to mark packages of opium processed by a refinery in Afghanistan.

A tan form with red text.

Opium Order Form

An early 20th-century order form for opium, an addictive narcotic.

Cover of 'Mr. Untouchable' NYT Magazine

New York Times Magazine

A medicine bottle wrapped in tan, printed paper next to a colorful card featuring a woman and her two children looking at a newspaper advertisement.

Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup

An advertisement and bottle of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, a patent medicine that contained morphine.

Morphine syrette

Morphine Syrette

A morphine syrette originally packaged in the medical kit of a World War II soldier.

Metal I Beam

Metal I Beam

A hollow metal I beam that unsuccessfully concealed cocaine from law enforcement officers.

blue and gold lowrider bike

Lowrider Bicycle

A blue and gold DEA lowrider bicycle created for DEA’s 50th anniversary.