Only after World War II did the secret spill: Ōkunoshima, located in the Inland Sea of Japan between Hiroshima and Shikoku, was the top-secret site for manufacturing chemical warfare. When the factories were closed down, a number of exotic wild rabbits were seen freely roaming the island. They were assumed to have been the test subjects for the chemical weapons, which the military failed to eradicate when the factory was demolished.

World War II veteran Jack W. Schlegel, 91 years-old, from Mount Tremper, New York, of the 508th Parachute Infantry Division of the 82nd Airborne who parachuted near Sainte-Mere-Eglise on June 6,1944, poses with American and French flags as he visits the American War cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the Normandy coast June 2, 2014. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

“Michael Mathias Prechtl (April 26, 1926, Amberg – March 19, 2003, Nuremberg) was a German artist, illustrator and cartoonist. He served as a soldier on the Eastern Front during World War II and spent 1945-49 as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union”. – Wikipedia

Photo: “Der Gestiefelte Kater (Puss in Boots)”, 1997. Artwork by Michael Mathias Prechtl

A Syrian migrant family enters Hungary at the border with Serbia near Roszke, Hungary August 28, 2015. As Europe struggles with its worst migrant crisis since World War II, Hungary has become, like Italy and Greece, a “frontline” state. So far this year, police say around 141,500 migrants have been intercepted crossing into Hungary, mostly from neighbouring Serbia. (Photo by Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Assistant Manager Jayesh Vaghela brushes a vintage silk top hat at Lock & Co. Hatters on March 22, 2011 in London, England. Founded in St. James's in 1676, when Charles II was on the throne, this family owned business has provided hats for Royalty and the gentry for over 300 years. Staff report that sales of formal hats are booming ahead of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

A traveller washes his horse in the River Eden in preparation for selling at the Appleby Horse Fair on June 3, 2011 in Appleby, England. Appleby Horse Fair has existed under the protection of a charter granted by James II since 1685. It is one of the key gathering points for the Romany, gypsy and traveling community. Appleby Horse Fair is attended by about 5,000 travelers who come to buy and sell horses. The animals are washed and groomed before being ridden at high speed along the “mad mile” for the viewing of potential buyers. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

US President George W. Bush (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin wave as the two presidents go for a ride in Putin's 1956 Volga before dinner 08 May 2005 at the his residence outside of Moscow. Bush hailed Russia's “bravery and sacrifice” in defeating Nazism, as he met Putin ahead of ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Bush, who the previous day criticized the decades-long Soviet occupation of central Europe, said he was looking forward to the 09 May ceremony on Moscow's Red Square, to be attended by over 50 national leaders. (Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP Photo)

Ialian artist Federico Mauro latest series takes a look at iconic footwear, and its symbolic representation of the people who wore them. With everything from Steve Jobs’ New Balance 991‘s to the Nike Air Mags sported by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II on show, the minimalist series shows how closely one’s identity can be linked to a single shoe.

See also: Famous Eyeglasses By Federico Mauro / Famous Guns By Federico Mauro