Alan Turing Papers Found in Loft – Rare Book Auctions / SWNS

A treasure trove of scientific papers by codebreaking war hero Alan Turing have fetched over a half million dollars at auction after being found in a loft and nearly shredded.

The incredible archive of important works by the British mathematical genius was discovered gathering dust at a property in London after it was gifted to Turing’s best friend. The papers, including letters from Alan’s mother, were saved at the last minute when their significance was recognized during a family event.

Turing’s work laid the foundation for artificial intelligence and modern computer science. During World War II, Turing played a critical role in breaking the Nazi’s Enigma code, giving the Allies an advantage that helped win the war in Europe.

The cache, which was auctioned this week, included his personal signed copy of Turing’s 1938 PhD dissertation, ‘Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals’ (sold for $150,000).

Also featured was 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. Described as the first programming manual of the computer age, it fetched a staggering $280,000—4 to 5 times the auction guide price.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said some of the items were among the “most important” he’s ever sold.

“To think these precious papers could’ve been lost to the shredder – and now they will go on to educate and inspire generations,” said the employee of Rare Book Auctions.

“Turing was a man ahead of his time, and through these pages, he lives on.”

Alan Turing on £50 English note concept – Credit: Bank of England (CC license)

“His life, his brilliance, and his contribution to modern computing… How does one even begin to place a value on such a legacy?

The papers, known as ‘offprints’, had originally been gifted by Turing’s mother Ethel to her son’s friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. They were produced in very small numbers and distributed within academia, making them “incredibly scarce”.

“When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents (of the house he owned),” said one of Routledge’s nieces.

“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.

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One of the cousins felt the Turing papers might be of interest to collectors.

Despite helping to shorten the war by around four years, Mr. Turing was prosecuted by Britain in 1952 for being gay. He died from cyanide poisoning two years later at age 41 and the government pardoned him and apologized in 2011.

An Oscar-nominated film starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game, depicted his story in 2014, and won Mr. Turing many new fans.

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“Alan Turing changed the world through his ideas, and thanks to a twist of fate his voice continues to resonate, informing the present and shaping the future,” said auctioneer Hanson.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime discovery—not just for collectors, but for the sake of preserving the story of one of the greatest minds in history.

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