Charles Wheatstone - cryptologist and prankster

[Stephen Mills]

An excerpt from “The Philosophical Breakfast Club”, which details the contributions to science of 4 friends: William Whewell, John Herschel, Charles Babbage and Richard Jones. Babbage was a friend of fellow polymath Charles Wheatstone – both were interested in ciphers and codes, which were very popular at the time. Of course, Wheatstone invented a code for telegraphy, which eventually lost out to Morse’s code as the de facto standard.

 

“Interest in cryptology extended even to everyday life. Young lovers, forbidden to express their affections publicly, and often prohibited from even meeting, were afraid to send letters that could be intercepted by their parents. Instead, they corresponded by placing encrypted messages in the personal columns of newspapers, called ‘agony columns.’ Wheatstone and Playfair liked to get together and scan the columns, trying to decipher the contents, which were often risqué. One time, Wheatstone deciphered a message from a young man, studying at Oxford, begging his young lover to run off with him to Gretna Green, the village just over the border of Scotland famous for hosting the 'runaway marriages' of parties under 21 years old without parental consent (which was required in England). Wheatstone playfully placed his own message in the next day’s column, written in the same cipher, counseling the couple against taking this rash and irrevocable step. The next edition of the paper contained a message from the young lady, this time unencrypted: ‘Dear Charlie, write no more. Our cipher is discovered!’ ”

 

One might have thought that with this bent, Wheatstone would be known for the layout for the Anglo third row, rather than the English fingering system.

[gcoover]

One might have thought that with this bent, Wheatstone would be known for the layout for the Anglo third row, rather than the English fingering system.

 

Amen!

 

Instead of tutors we should call them "concertina codebreakers"...

[JimLucas]

One time, Wheatstone deciphered a message from a young man, studying at Oxford, begging his young lover to run off with him to Gretna Green, the village just over the border of Scotland famous for hosting the 'runaway marriages' of parties under 21 years old without parental consent (which was required in England). Wheatstone playfully placed his own message in the next day’s column, written in the same cipher, counseling the couple against taking this rash and irrevocable step. The next edition of the paper contained a message from the young lady, this time unencrypted: ‘Dear Charlie, write no more. Our cipher is discovered!’ ”

"Charlie", eh?

 

Is it possible that all three of the messages were from Wheatstone, a prank designed to fool and impress his colleagues, with the "Charlie" being a hint that they didn't pick up on?

 

We'll never know, of course, but either way it would seem that he was clever.

[Robin Harrison]

Nice post, Steve.

I enjoyed these quirky but vaguely relevant subjects.

Thanks, Robin

[ceemonster]

"Quirky and vaguely relevant" being synonyms for "concertinaphilic," after all...

[Anglo-Irishman]

One might have thought that with this bent, Wheatstone would be known for the layout for the Anglo third row, rather than the English fingering system.

 

Oh, I don't know ...

 

The English fingering system is pretty arcane, after all! I recall the first time I had an EC in my hands, and it completely mystified me. From the piano, the Anglo concertina, whistle, recorder and various string instruments, my paradigm was that adjacent notes would lie under adjacent finger positions. Who but the initiated would expect them to be on opposite ends of the instrument?

 

Cheers,

John

[Steve Mansfield]

Oh, I don't know ...

 

The English fingering system is pretty arcane, after all! I recall the first time I had an EC in my hands, and it completely mystified me. From the piano, the Anglo concertina, whistle, recorder and various string instruments, my paradigm was that adjacent notes would lie under adjacent finger positions. Who but the initiated would expect them to be on opposite ends of the instrument?

 

 

And here we are back in the 'different brains suit different concertinas' argument.

 

To me, the EC keyboard is supremely and delightfully logical - yes there's the initial idiosyncrasy of the scale passing from hand to hand, but once that is understood

• the sharp/flat of the note is immediately adjacent to the corresponding note in the C major scale,
• the third and fifth are always where you'd expect them to be
• and you're off.

I'm not saying that it's an easy system to get fluent upon, as my playing constantly demonstrates; but it fits with the way my brain works.

 

And, thank you thank you thank you Mr Wheatstone, you can concentrate on using the bellows for expression and phrasing, without having to factor in the additional brain-knurdling complication that you have to be going in the right direction to even get the note you want. Who but the initiated would expect that?

[Mikefule]

Of course, Wheatstone invented a code for telegraphy, which eventually lost out to Morse’s code as the de facto standard.

 

 

This was because Morse code was comparatively simple compared to the two systems devised by Wheatstone.

 

Wheatstone's first telegraph system, based on an earlier German telegraphic code, required you to alternately push or pull the telegraph key, but with occasional changes to the the sequence. So for example, for the letter C you would push the telegraph key down, D you would pull it upwards, and so on. Many people found this irrational, although a lot of sef-taught telegraph operators claimed to find it intuitive.

 

His second system, which was entirely his own, used two telegraph keys: one for each hand, and the letters alternated between left and right hand. While it made perfect logical sense, some people found the whole left hand/right hand thing difficult to coordinate.

[chris]

Wheatstone's first telegraph system, based on an earlier German telegraphic code, required you to alternately push or pull the telegraph key, but with occasional changes to the the sequence. So for example, for the letter C you would push the telegraph key down, D you would pull it upwards, and so on. Many people found this irrational, although a lot of sef-taught telegraph operators claimed to find it intuitive.

 

given the above - I'm surprised that Wheatstone didn't invent the Anglo

chris

[Dirge]

Of course, Wheatstone invented a code for telegraphy, which eventually lost out to Morse’s code as the de facto standard.

 

 

This was because Morse code was comparatively simple compared to the two systems devised by Wheatstone.

 

Wheatstone's first telegraph system, based on an earlier German telegraphic code, required you to alternately push or pull the telegraph key, but with occasional changes to the the sequence. So for example, for the letter C you would push the telegraph key down, D you would pull it upwards, and so on. Many people found this irrational, although a lot of sef-taught telegraph operators claimed to find it intuitive.

 

His second system, which was entirely his own, used two telegraph keys: one for each hand, and the letters alternated between left and right hand. While it made perfect logical sense, some people found the whole left hand/right hand thing difficult to coordinate.

nice!

[chrism]

While we're talking about Morse Code -- which, really, we're not, but what the hell -- have you noticed that Morse Code is now in more general and widespread use than ever ? Just two letters I'll admit, but that's a start. That little song the mobile 'phone sings when it gets a text message "dit dit dit dah dah dit dit dit" -- SMS in Morse Code. Now doesn't that make the World seem a nicer place ?

 

Chris

[JimLucas]

Of course, Wheatstone invented a code for telegraphy, which eventually lost out to Morse’s code as the de facto standard.

This was because Morse code was comparatively simple compared to the two systems devised by Wheatstone.

 

Wheatstone's first telegraph system, based on an earlier German telegraphic code, required you to alternately push or pull the telegraph key, but with occasional changes to the the sequence. So for example, for the letter C you would push the telegraph key down, D you would pull it upwards, and so on. Many people found this irrational, although a lot of sef-taught telegraph operators claimed to find it intuitive.

 

His second system, which was entirely his own, used two telegraph keys: one for each hand, and the letters alternated between left and right hand. While it made perfect logical sense, some people found the whole left hand/right hand thing difficult to coordinate.

Beautiful parody!

(There's a reason why Mikefule's description of "Wheatstone's" two "codes" seem surprisingly similar to the anglo and English concertina "codes". I believe he made 'em up. )

 

Wheatstone didn't actually compose a code. The system he and Cooke designed used varying electric currents to cause needles to point to individual letters on a dial. This relieved the telegrapher of having to learn a code, but required multiple transmission wires and was apparently too complex to be practical.