Dr. David Kahn, Cryptologic historian and author, graciously donated his vast collection to the museum, through the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation (NCMF).
Cryptology has been a life-long interest of Dr. Kahn’s and it culminated in his seminal work, The Codebreakers in 1967. Included in our exhibit are two of the original drafts Dr. Kahn wrote, and rewrote, before its publication. The Codebreakers brought attention to a subject few had even heard of before and earned Dr. Kahn a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Orson Bean. Also on display is a transcript of that interview.
Studying cryptology and its history, in order to write his many books on the subject, required significant research. Dr. Kahn collected books, artifacts, articles, and material as his research progressed over the years. Eventually, in 2004, Dr. Kahn chose to donate his collection to the NCMF for the museum library. A few of the more interesting or unique items are now on display: autographed copies of Elements of Cryptanalysis by William Friedman and The American Black Chamber by Herbert Yardley; a French manual on protecting private conversations; and, as an example of the eclectic and diverse nature of collection, a Nazi propaganda program.
The rest of the collection, held as part of the National Cryptologic Museum Library is currently being cataloged. Specific requests for scholarly research can be accommodated by scheduling an appointment.