Secret Code Hidden In Woman’s 1800s Dress Is Finally Cracked After A Decade(photo)




During Christmas break in 2013, Sara Rivers Cofield bought a vintage frock and later found that it had a secret pocket. The pocket was not only well hidden, but also difficult to open, adding to the intrigue of its contents. In contrast to popular belief, pockets were frequently seen on gowns throughout the 1880s. Fashion designers didn't conclude that ladies didn't require pockets until the 1900s! However, the contents of this pocket made it seem like no ordinary pocket, and it would take nearly ten years to figure out what the secret code dress was.

In February of 2014, Sara posted a blog post about the antique garment. Sara noted in her article all the special details of the silk bustle garment, such as the original buttons and clear indications of changes. Silk is an unforgiving fabric that shows every thread. And there was the enigmatic pocket after that.


Sara discovered two crumpled sheets of paper inside the pocket; they appeared to have been washed in their hiding place. Carefully unfolding the pages, she found mysterious written lines. Some of the terms, such "Bismark Omit leafage buck bank," appeared absurd. There were twelve lines of unintelligible text on each sheet. By sharing the outfit online, she was hoping that a "decoding prodigy" would come across it and decide to take on the job.


Many people accepted the Silk Dress Cryptogram challenge, but eventually gave it up. It rose to the top 50 encrypted communications that are still unsolvable. Thanks to Wayne Chan of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, it is no longer the case. Wayne works at the Center for Earth Observation Science as a research computer analyst.

Deciphering the Vintage Dress's Secret Code at Last

Wayne's research was published in 2023. In addition, he produced an amazing pictorial film that shows the steps he took to solve the riddle. It's worth spending the 17 minutes to learn the extent Wayne went to in order to solve the puzzle.

Telegraph codes were used by academics in their early attempts to decipher the secret. Though it wasn't as thrilling as unearthing pirate loot, the hunt was on. Sending a lengthy message might be costly because telegraph costs were determined by the word count. In order to enable shorter communications with a full block of information, the early telegraph codes were used.


They were near, but nobody saw the one missing piece from the puzzle. It took Wayne a while to recognize that the code looked like weather reports. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was eventually reached as a result. The U.S. Army was in charge of weather reporting in the 1880s. Wayne was able to decipher the code at last as a result.

It required ten years to decipher the coded documents, which were kept secret for 135 years. However, we now know where the enigmatic lines of code came from. I appreciate you cracking this fascinating puzzle, Mr. Chan. And thanks to Sara Rivers Cofield for giving the secret code to your antique outfit.

Please tell your friends about this mystery if you found it enjoyable. They will enjoy the excitement of the hunt and the payoff of discovering the truth.
Previous Post Next Post