Collection of rare Alan Turing papers sells for £465,000 at auction through Rare Books Auctions with auctioneer Charles Hanson

A collection of rare and important papers by famed mathematician Alan Turing have sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Alan Turing is commonly referred to as the father of computer science, and famously used his mathematical expertise to break Germany’s Enigma Code while working at Bletchley Park during the second world war.

The collection of papers had originally been gifted to Turing’s long time friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge.

It wasn’t until a family member found them hidden away in a loft years after Norman’s death, and they were brought along to a Charles Hanson valuation day in Southwell, that the family realised what they had in their possession

Hanson personally oversaw the sale of the papers, which he described as a “remarkable collection” that represented “a truly exceptional opportunity for collectors and institutions”.

The collection was split into 14 lots, including personal letters and documents known as “offprints” — which are copies of academic material produced in very small numbers and distributed within scientific circles, making them incredibly hard to come by.

With interest from bidders around the world, when all was finished and auction fees had been added, the total had come to £465,000.

The star of the show was thought to be a signed copy of Turing’s PhD dissertation from 1938-39, originally valued between £40,000 and £60,000, but sold for £110,500.

However, a copy of ‘On Computable Numbers’ — which was an important foundation in the creation of modern computer science — was reportedly sold for £208,000.

Norman’s niece, Bridget Pitcher, of Newark, was the person who had originally taken the papers along to that Southwell valuation day, not knowing what they could be worth.

She attended the auction alongside one of her brothers and two of her sisters, and described it as an “unforgettable experience.”

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Bridgett. “But it was fantastic to see Charles in action and the auction take place.

“The first lot was the handwritten letter from Turing’s mother to Norman, gifting him the papers, and that made much more than we had anticipated.

“As the totals were coming in it was almost overwhelming — we couldn’t speak, so all we could do was look at each other and raise our eyebrows.

“I was thinking, where is this going to end?

“It was a wonderful surprise and I think Norman would have been quietly delighted.”

In a nice touch, the Routledge family asked Charles Hanson if he could wear one of Norman’s bow ties during the sale, meaning the man who had originally looked after Turing’s papers could still play a part in passing them on.

“It was quite remarkable because we had no idea who the buyers were,” said Bridget.

“But we all know that they will be cared for and appreciated by whoever has bought them.

“The plan is now to have a lovely family get together in memory of Norman, and the money will be shared between his 13 nieces and nephews.”

Reflecting on what she would do with her share of the money, Bridget said that she plans to go travelling with her husband.