Riverbank Publications

Inscription by William Friedman in the Marshall Library’s copy of the Riverbank Publications 15-22.[1]

The Riverbank Publications is a series of pamphlets written by the people who worked for millionaire George Fabyan in the multi-discipline research facility he built in the early 20th century near Chicago. They were published by Fabyan, often without author credit. The publications on cryptanalysis,[1] mostly written by William Friedman, with contributions from Elizebeth Smith Friedman and others, are considered seminal in the field.[2] In particular, Publication 22 introduced the Index of Coincidence, a powerful statistical tool for cryptanalysis.

List of publications on cryptography

The Riverbank Publications dealt with many subjects investigated at the laboratories. The ones dealing with cryptography[3] began with number 15,[4] : p. 374 ff  and consists of:[5][6]

  • 15, A Method of Reconstructing the Primary Alphabet From a Single One of the Series of Secondary Alphabets, 1917[1]: pdf p. 9 
  • 16, Methods for the Solution of Running-Key Ciphers, 1918: pdf p. 23 
  • 17, An Introduction to Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, 1918: pdf p. 72 
  • 18, Synoptic Tables for the Solution of Ciphers and A Bibliography of Cryptographic Literature, 1918: pdf p. 123 
  • 19, Formulae for the Solution of Geometrical Transposition Ciphers, written with Capt. Lenox R. Lohr, 1918: pdf p. 161 
  • 20, Several Machine Ciphers and Methods for their Solution, 1918: pdf p. 187 
  • 21, Methods for the Reconstruction of Primary Alphabets, written with Elizebeth Smith Friedman, 1918: pdf p. 279 
  • 22, The Index of Coincidence and Its Applications in Cryptography, imprint L. Fournier, Paris, 1922[6][1]: pdf p. 297 
  • 50, The production and detection of messages in concealed writing and images, by H. O. Nolan, 1918[7]
  • 75, Memorization Methods: Specifically Illustrated in Respect to Their Applicability to Codes and Topographic Material, by H. O. Nolan, 1919,[6][8]

Except as noted, the above publications were written by William F. Friedman and were published by George Fabyan's Riverbank Laboratories in Geneva, Illinois.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, Publications 15-22, Rufus A. Long Digital Library of Cryptography, George C. Marshall Library, 1917-1922
  2. ^ Jason Fagone (26 September 2017). The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-243050-2.
  3. ^ Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, Publications 15-22, Rufus A. Long Digital Library of Cryptography, George C. Marshal Library, 1917-1922
  4. ^ Kahn, David (1967). The Codebreakers: The Story of Secret Writing. New York: The Macmillan Company. ISBN 978-0-684-83130-5.
  5. ^ Publications 15-22 reprinted by Aegean Park Press, in three volumes, 1979
  6. ^ a b c Riverbank publications WorldCat record. "No other items in the field of cryptology were published"
  7. ^ Library of Congress catalog card
  8. ^ "Riverbank Publications No. 75 : Memorization Methods : Specifically Illustrated in Respect to Their Applicability to Codes and Topographic Material by ([ Riverbank Laboratories ] [ H. O. Nolan ]) from Kuenzig Books | Topsfield, MA | Bibliopolis".
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