![]() Now a group of researchers at MIT have figured out a clever way to read one of these locked letters without ever opening it. The letters were never delivered, and 577 of them are locked. The letters were found in a wooden trunk in the Netherlands. The Brienne Collection (above) is a group of over 3,000 pieces of mail from 1706 or earlier. The Brienne Collection is a group of over 3,000 pieces of mail from 1706 or earlier. But locked letters raise a difficult question: should historians open locked letters, even if opening them damages the letters? Letters from the past contain important information about history. Above, the back sides of several locked letters. Finally, the letter was sealed with melted wax. Usually several small slits were left in the letter, so that when the paper was folded, a loose piece of the letter could be threaded through the slits to “lock” it. That was useful back then, but now it’s causing problems. The person who got the letter could easily tell if anyone had opened it along the way. Usually several small slits were left in the letter, so that when the paper was folded, a loose piece of the letter could be threaded through the slits to “lock” it.įinally, the letter was sealed with melted wax. Many different ways of locking letters were developed over time. This meant cutting and folding the letter in complicated patterns so that the paper formed its own envelope and couldn’t be opened without revealing that it had been opened. So to prevent others from reading their secrets, for hundreds of years, people used a trick called “letter locking”. Above, the front sides of several locked letters. Now, a group of scientists at MIT have managed to read one of these letters without even opening it. Long ago, letters were folded in complicated ways to prevent others from reading them. Jana Dambrogio, who led MIT’s work, points out that, “The envelope as we know it…wasn’t invented until the 1830s.” These days, there are many ways of sending secret messages.
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