Latest news with #EthelTuring
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alan Turing papers found in loft set to fetch £150K after nearly being shredded
Scientific papers by codebreaking war hero Alan Turing which were discovered in a loft are expected to fetch £150,000 at auction - after almost being shredded. The incredible archive was found gathering dust in an attic in Bermondsey, London, after its owner moved into a care home and her daughters began clearing out her loft. Among the documents which were nearly destroyed was a personal copy of the mathematical genius' PHD dissertation from 1938-39 and his first published paper from 1935. The papers, known as "offprints", had originally been gifted by Turing's mother, Ethel to her son's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. They were produced in very small numbers and distributed within academia, making them "incredibly scarce" survivors that rarely ever appear on the market. The documents were nearly destroyed. (Image: SWNS) The collection is now expected to sell for between £100,000-£150,000 when it goes under the hammer at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffs, on June 17. Turing was one of the famous codebreakers at Bletchley Park who played a vital role in cracking the Enigma code, which led to Allied victory in World War Two. Despite helping to shorten the war by an estimated four years, on March 31 1952, he was prosecuted for homosexual acts and died from cyanide poisoning on June 7, 1954, aged 41. Shortly before pleading guilty, Turing sent a poignant letter to Norman Routledge, the original owner of the papers being sold. The letter, known as 'Yours in distress', was read by Routledge when he appeared in "The Strange Life and Death of Dr Turing" on the BBC's Horizon in 1992. It has also since been read by Benedict Cumberbatch after it was presented by Routledge to King's College, Cambridge, where it now resides in The Turing Archive. The collection is expected to make £150k. (Image: SWNS) But he kept the collection of Turing's offprints, which were eventually rescued by his nieces and nephews. One of the nieces explained: 'Following his retirement from Eton College, Norman bought and lived in a house in Bermondsey. "When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents. "There were lots of personal papers which one sister carted away and stored in her loft. The papers lay dormant until she moved into a care home almost a decade later. "Her daughters came across the papers and considered shredding everything. "Fortunately, they checked with Norman's nieces and nephews because he'd always been a presence in our lives. The papers were saved by Turing's friend, Norman. (Image: SWNS) Adding: "One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors. "After taking them home for a closer look, she decided to attend a local valuation day hosted by Hansons Auctioneers, who consigned them for research with their specialist saleroom, Rare Book Auctions. "We were bowled over by the valuations and level of enthusiasm.' The collection includes his PhD dissertation from 1938-39, Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, which is signed by Turing, having been his personal copy. This document alone has been valued by the auction house at £40,000 to £60,000 as has his 1936-37 paper entitled On Computable Numbers. The paper introduced the world to the idea of a 'universal computing machine', which, despite the model's simplicity, is capable of implementing any computer algorithm, and has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age. The papers have been checked by experts. (Image: SWNS) Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, who is more famed for finding Harry Potter first editions, described the collection as "the most important archive I've ever handled.' He said the exchange of offprints had historically been a method of correspondence between scholars and is prized by collectors as representing the first separate edition of an important work. He added: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag. "These seemingly plain papers-perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers - represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing. "Literature has always been my forte, not mathematics, so the past few months of intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman. The collection includes letters. (Image: SWNS) "For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation." The collection also includes The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, which dates from 1952, and is Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology, describing what have come to be known as 'Turing patterns'. Mr Spencer said: 'As recently as 2023, a study confirmed Turing's mathematical model hypothesis as outlined in The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis. "In this way the papers are still alive. They're still relevant and groundbreaking. 'We even have Turing's first published paper from 1935 – Equivalence of Left and Right Almost Periodicity – which is simply a single sheet of paper. The collection is set to get interest from around the world. (Image: SWNS) "And the provenance couldn't be better. The archive was gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Arthur Routledge (1928-2013) by Turing's mother Ethel - and we have her handwritten letter explaining this." In the letter, dated May 16, 1956, Ethel Turing says: 'I have to-day sent by registered post 13 of Alan's off-prints...I don't know what people in Cambridge thought of the manner of Alan's death. "I am convinced it was accidental as the experiment of coke under electrolysis – which smelt of cyanide had been going on for weeks – I feel sure he got some of this on his fingers & so on to the apple he customarily ate in bed...I have had some requests to write a biography of Alan...I have masses of material because from the time he was about 6 I spotted a winner – despite many detractors at school – and kept many papers about him.' Mr Spencer added: "This fascinating letter is a golden thread that neatly ties up and seals the authenticity of everything being offered. "The potential value compels us to offer the papers individually. The price is unknown and could run to any amount. Recommended Reading London company allowed to keep name as lawsuit dropped Beckenham woman befriends stray dog in Bali to bring home London chimney sweeper shares what the job is really like 'Anything with a direct connection to Turing is highly desirable and almost impossible to find. "These papers were owned by his close friend Norman, having been gifted to him by Turing's mother. That's what makes this collection so significant. 'Hardly anything like this appears on the open market, so predicting hammer prices is fortune-telling." Adding: "I suspect interest will be strong in Silicon Valley – where Turing's influence shines brightly – but it would be lovely to see material acquired by institutions who could share things with the public."
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Lost Alan Turing papers, rediscovered in loft, to go under the hammer
Lost scientific papers of World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, rescued from a loft and then nearly destroyed, are set to go under the hammer in June. The archive, expected to fetch thousands of pounds, offers a glimpse into the mind of the brilliant mathematician. Among the rediscovered treasures is a signed personal copy of Mr Turing's 1939 PhD dissertation, Systems Of Logic Based On Ordinals, a work exploring the foundations of mathematical logic. The archive also contains On Computable Numbers from 1937, a paper considered by many to be the first programming manual of the computer age. Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire, which is managing the sale, revealed the provenance of the papers. Originally gifted to Mr Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge by Mr Turing's mother, Ethel, the collection became a hidden gem, tucked away for decades. These 'offprints', as they are known, were academic papers produced in limited numbers for circulation within scholarly circles. Mr Turing's PhD dissertation alone carries a pre-auction estimate of £40,000 to £60,000. The collection also includes correspondence from renowned novelist E.M. Forster. Following Mr Routledge's death, the papers were moved to a relative's loft after his Bermondsey home was cleared, narrowly escaping destruction. One of Mr Routledge's nieces said: 'When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents. 'There were lots of personal papers which one sister carted away and stored in her loft. The papers lay dormant until she moved into a care home almost a decade later. 'Her daughters came across the papers and considered shredding everything. Fortunately, they checked with Norman's nieces and nephews because he'd always been a presence in our lives. 'Norman was an amazing man who showed genuine interest in everyone he came into contact with. His family were very important to him. He kept in regular contact and was interested in what each one was doing. 'We finally had an opportunity to see Norman's papers when the family hosted a 'Routledge Reunion' weekend in November 2024.' The papers were brought along in a carrier bag, the woman said. 'One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors.' Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, described the collection as 'the most important archive I've ever handled', adding: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag.' He said: 'These seemingly plain papers – perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers – represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing. 'Literature has always been my forte, not mathematics, so the past few months of intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman.' It was like 'studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation', Mr Spencer said. 'It's at least comforting to know that he lives on through his work. He survives through his legacy.' The collection also includes The Chemical Basis Of Morphogenesis. Dating from 1952, it is Mr Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. A single piece of paper which was Mr Turing's first published paper in 1935, Equivalence Of Left And Right Almost Periodicity, also forms part of the archive. It was gifted to Mr Routledge by Mr Turing's mother Ethel and her handwritten letter dated 16 May 1956 is also included. The letter reads: 'I have to-day sent by registered post 13 of Alan's off-prints…I have had some requests to write a biography of Alan…I have masses of material because from the time he was about 6 I spotted a winner – despite many detractors at school – and kept many papers about him.' Mr Spencer added: 'This fascinating letter is a golden thread that neatly ties up and seals the authenticity of everything being offered.' The Alan Turing Papers: The Collection Of Norman Routledge (1928-2013) will be held on 17 June by Rare Book Auctions, Lichfield. Bidding will be available worldwide.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Treasure trove of Alan Turing's papers hidden in the loft of WWII hero's best friend - but are then nearly shredded by his family
A cache of papers found in a loft and almost shredded is tipped to sell for £150,000 after they were found to be the work of wartime code breaker Alan Turing. The 'Alan Turing Papers' are the origins of computer science by the genius mathematician. They include his personal signed copy of his 1938 PhD dissertation, 'Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals'. It is valued between £40,000 to £60,000. Also featured is his paper 'On Computable Numbers' also known as 'Turing's Proof' which introduced the world to the idea of a universal computing machine in 1936. It is has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age and also has a guide price of £40,000 to £60,000. Turing played a vital role in cracking the German Enigma code, a feat that was crucial to the Allied victory in the Second World War. But Turing was gay at a time when homosexual relations were illegal. He was convicted of gross indecency with a man in 1952 and chose to be chemically castrated over going to prison. He took his own life two years later aged just 41. After his death, his mother Ethel gave her son's papers to his loyal friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. Ethel wrote Routledge a covering letter in which she revealed how she knew her late son 'was a winner from the age of six.' She added that she 'always believed that he had a gift'. She also expressed her doubts that Turing's death was suicide, stating she was convinced it was accidental poisoning of cyanide. Before he pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of gross indecency for homosexual acts in 1952, Turing sent Routledge a poignant letter known as 'Yours in distress'. It was this letter that was read out by Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Turing in the 2014 film The Imitation Game. The letter is now in the Alan Turing Archive at King's College Cambridge. Routledge kept the papers for the rest of his life and stored them in the loft of his home in Bermondsey, south London. He died in 2013 and his sister recovered them during a clear out. But she just stored them in her attic, where they lay until she recently moved into a care home. Her daughters came across the papers but they too didn't realise their importance or significance and were going to put them in a shredder along with other documents. Luckily, they took them along to a family reunion event and one relative thought they should seek an expert opinion on them. They then took them to an auctioneer's valuation day in a carrier bag. Jim Spencer, of Rare Book Actions of Lichfield, Staffs, was stunned when he opened the bag and studied its contents. They are now coming up for sale in 13 separate lots worth a combined £150,000. Mr Spencer described the collection as a 'once in a lifetime chance' to acquire such important material. He said: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag. I opened it and thought 'good lord.' 'These seemingly plain papers - perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers - represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing.' He explained the papers, known as 'offprints', were produced in very small numbers and distributed among fellow scholars, making them incredibly scarce survivors that rarely ever appear on the market. Mr Spencer added: 'They are prized by collectors as representing the first separate edition of an important work. 'The dissertation is really important and the fact it is signed by Turing him makes it extra special. 'Intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that AlanTuring was superhuman. 'For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation. 'At the same time, I keep thinking of the tragic end to Turing's life, precisely because he was treated as alien - charged as a criminal, barred from GCHQ, banned from the United States, and forced to undergo chemical castration - all this despite the invaluable work he'd done at Bletchley Park during the war, and for nothing more than his sexuality. 'This injustice, and the fact he didn't survive to see his enormous influence and impact, makes these papers feel so special. 'It's at least comforting to know that he lives on through his work. He survives through his legacy.' The Turing Papers include 'The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis' from 1952. This, it is said, is Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology. There are also letters written to Routledge from the celebrated novelist E.M Forster. One of his nieces said: 'Norman was an amazing man who showed genuine interest in everyone he came into contact with. 'His family were very important to him. He kept in regular contact and was interested in what each one was doing. 'We finally had an opportunity to see Norman's papers when the family hosted a 'Routledge Reunion' weekend in November 2024. 'The papers were brought along in a carrier bag. One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors. 'We were bowled over by the valuations.' Mr Spencer said: 'The potential value compels us to offer the papers individually. 'Hardly anything like this appears on the open market, so predicting hammer prices is almost fortune-telling. 'Ultimately, the market will speak. 'It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this material. I suspect interest will be strong in Silicon Valley - where Turing's influence shines brightly - but it would be lovely to see material acquired by institutions who could share things with the public.'
