Riverbank Publications

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Short description: Pamphlets written by workers of George Fabyan
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