Letterlocking: Securing Correspondence before Envelopes

Daniel Smith, Jana Dambrogio

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingEntry in encyclopedia/dictionarypeer-review

Abstract

In an age before the invention of the mass-produced gummed envelope,
correspondence by letter was almost entirely dependent on letterlocking, the
process by which a flat writing substrate is turned into its own sending device.
Based on the study of 250,000 archival letters, this entry describes the
fundamentals of letterlocking and explains its centrality to the Renaissance
world, while also introducing a range of research tools, including online
instructional videos. Setting out the manipulations required to turn a flat writing
substrate into a letterpacket, this entry shows how each packet has a format and a
category, terms with special meaning in the study of letterlocking. Letterlocking
forms an important part of the history of communications security and was used
by almost everyone who wrote letters, including both famous and obscure
historical figures. Packets can be assigned a security score based on the
difficulties of access they pose to potential interceptors. The study of this
communication technology emerged from the field of conservation, and the
relationship between the two is explained. As this new field emerges, the
relevance of letterlocking to other research questions develops; this entry
proposes links to history, literature, theater, art, digital humanities, and
mathematics.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRoutledge Resources Online – The Renaissance World
PublisherRoutledge
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Letterlocking: Securing Correspondence before Envelopes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this