Latest news with #codebreaker
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Alan Turing papers saved from shredder to be sold in Lichfield
Papers written by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing are to go up for auction after they were found in a loft and almost 1930s collection, which included a copy of Turing's PhD dissertation, is expected to make tens of thousands of pounds when it goes under the hammer in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on 17 considered by many as the father of modern computing, played a key role in WW2 in helping to break the German Enigma codes at Bletchley Book Auctions, which is handling the sale, said the papers were originally gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. After Mr Routledge died in 2013, the documents were found at his home in Bermondsey, London, and taken away by one of his of Mr Routledge's nieces, who has not been named, said they were untouched for years until the sister moved into a care daughters found the collection and "considered shredding everything" before they checked with the nieces and nephews. The niece said the family were "bowled over by the valuations and level of enthusiasm" after the collection was inspected by Rare Book papers were called offprints and were used as a method of correspondence between PhD dissertation from 1938 or 1939, called Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, is signed by Turing and has been valued at £40,000 to £60, paper called On Computable Numbers from 1936 or 37, which introduced the world to the idea of a "universal computing machine", was also valued at £40,000 to £60, collection also includes a letter from Turing's mother Ethel, dated 16 May 1956, in which she wrote about the manner of her son's death and requests for her to write a biography. Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, described the collection as "the most important archive" he had ever handled."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 WW2 Turing invented the idea of a machine that could decode and perform any set of instructions and a decade later would design an electronic computer, capable of running any he was prosecuted for homosexual acts in 1952 and was chemically castrated before he died from cyanide poisoning in 1954, with an inquest concluding received a posthumous royal pardon for his conviction in 2013. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Alan Turing papers found in loft and nearly shredded to be auctioned
Scientific papers belonging to Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing which were discovered in a loft and nearly shredded are expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction next month. The archive of papers belonging to the mathematician include a signed personal copy of his 1939 PhD dissertation Systems Of Logic Based On Ordinals' and On Computable Numbers from 1937, described as the first programming manual of the computer age. Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire, the firm handling the sale, revealed the archive had originally been gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge by his mother Ethel. The papers, known as 'offprints', were produced in small numbers and distributed within academia, making them scarce survivors that rarely appear on the market. Turing's PhD alone has been valued at between £40,000 and £60,000 by the auction house. Routledge kept the papers, which also included letters from novelist EM Forster, and on his death they were taken to a relative's loft after his Bermondsey home was cleared out. Explaining how they were rediscovered, one of 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. 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. 'For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation. '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 Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. A single piece of paper which was Turing's first published paper in 1935, Equivalence Of Left And Right Almost Periodicity, also forms part of the archive. It was gifted to Routledge by Turing's mother Ethel and her handwritten letter dated May 16 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.' 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 June 17 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.'
BBC News
08-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
WW2 codebreaker remembers 'going wild' on VE Day
A World War Two codebreaker has recalled the "wonderful" moment she heard Winston Churchill speak during VE Day celebrations in London in Hollingbery, 102, had been based at Bletchley Park, helping to decipher coded enemy messages, during the had originally signed up to the Women's Royal Navy Service when war broke out but was later selected for "special services" at the top secret site in Milton in West Bromwich but now living in Meltham, West Yorkshire, she said she remembered "going wild" after news the war had ended broke. "We dashed into London, we dashed up The Mall and joined thousands of people there because people had come from all over."We were like sardines packed together."We were screaming 'we want the King' and 'we want the Queen'."Victory in Europe Day, known as VE Day, on 8 May marks the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. Mrs Hollingbery said she was among an enormous group of people when Churchill addressed the crowd, but despite being "so overcome, I couldn't hear" she said it had been a "wonderful" her military career, she said she was not initially sure which of the forces would be the most suitable."I didn't know which one to apply for and I tried on all the hats and I didn't like the way my hair came out of the army and air force," she said."I tried on a WRNS hat and I thought 'that's nice, it'll keep my hair down'."However, after a few weeks she and five others were sent to Eastcote, near Harrow."We had a meeting there and they told us 'you mustn't do this, you mustn't do that, you have to sign the Secrets Act," she said."We were told it was a very important job." Following that meeting she was sent to Bletchley, where she operated a Bombe machine, developed by Alan Turing, to help crack the Enigma code used by the said she had kept the details of her work a complete secret, not even daring to discuss it with her colleagues."We never spoke about it. We just didn't," she said."When we left quarters to go into London, we never talked about it amongst ourselves because we thought someone might be listening in."Mrs Hollingbery's effort was celebrated on Thursday by members of the theatre production "Hush Hush" - which tells the story of the Bletchley Park code breakers - who serenaded her at her West Yorkshire home. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. SIMPLE GUIDE: VE Day moments so far - and what's still to comeIN PICTURES: Red Arrows, royals, veterans and teaWATCH: Unseen royal moments from VE Day commemorations360 VIDEO: Experience the flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpitEXPLORE: More on VE Day
