Welcome to today’s episode, where we delve into the fascinating world of historical secrecy techniques before the advent of modern encryption. In a recent article from Fast Company, researchers Jana Dambrogio and Daniel Starza Smith introduce us to “letterlocking,” a method used by figures like Queen Elizabeth I and Emily Dickinson to secure their correspondences.

Dambrogio, a conservator at MIT, discovered remarkable security features in ancient documents during her fellowship at the Vatican. She notes, “That object is like the time capsule from that time period… If I change anything not knowing, then that object loses its voice.”

Alongside Smith, they've reconstructed these ingenious methods, emphasizing how letters were not just containers of text, but engineered devices designed to ensure safe delivery. As Smith explains, “When Jana showed me these models, suddenly all this kind of material fell into place.” They uncovered elaborate locks made from the paper itself, allowing senders to verify that their messages hadn’t been tampered with.

Stay tuned as we explore how these historical techniques inform our understanding of privacy today!
Link to Article