Riverbank Publications Explained

The Riverbank Publications is a series of pamphlets written by the people who worked for millionaire George Fabyan in the multi-discipline research facility he built in the early 20th century near Chicago. They were published by Fabyan, often without author credit. The publications on cryptanalysis,^[1] mostly written by William Friedman, with contributions from Elizebeth Smith Friedman and others, are considered seminal in the field.^[2] In particular, Publication 22 introduced the Index of Coincidence, a powerful statistical tool for cryptanalysis.

List of publications on cryptography

The Riverbank Publications dealt with many subjects investigated at the laboratories. The ones dealing with cryptography^[3] began with number 15,^[4] and consists of:^{[5] [6]}

• 15, A Method of Reconstructing the Primary Alphabet From a Single One of the Series of Secondary Alphabets, 1917^[1]
• 16, Methods for the Solution of Running-Key Ciphers, 1918
• 17, An Introduction to Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, 1918
• 18, Synoptic Tables for the Solution of Ciphers and A Bibliography of Cryptographic Literature, 1918
• 19, Formulae for the Solution of Geometrical Transposition Ciphers, written with Capt. Lenox R. Lohr, 1918
• 20, Several Machine Ciphers and Methods for their Solution, 1918
• 21, Methods for the Reconstruction of Primary Alphabets, written with Elizebeth Smith Friedman, 1918
• 22, The Index of Coincidence and Its Applications in Cryptography, imprint L. Fournier, Paris, 1922^[1]
• 50, The production and detection of messages in concealed writing and images, by H. O. Nolan, 1918^[7]
• 75, Memorization Methods: Specifically Illustrated in Respect to Their Applicability to Codes and Topographic Material, by H. O. Nolan, 1919,^[8]

Except as noted, the above publications were written by William F. Friedman and were published by George Fabyan's Riverbank Laboratories in Geneva, Illinois.

Notes and References

1. https://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/06/Methods_II_watermark.pdf Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, Publications 15-22
2. Book: Jason Fagone. The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies. 26 September 2017. HarperCollins. 978-0-06-243050-2.
3. https://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/06/Methods_II_watermark.pdf Methods for the Solution of Ciphers, Publications 15-22
4. Book: Kahn, David. David Kahn (writer). The Codebreakers: The Story of Secret Writing. 1967. The Macmillan Company. New York. 978-0-684-83130-5. The Codebreakers.
5. https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/sci.crypt/Bw3zQodG0og Publications 15-22 reprinted by Aegean Park Press
6. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/77811812 Riverbank publications WorldCat record
7. https://lccn.loc.gov/96125614 Library of Congress catalog card
8. Web site: Riverbank Publications No. 75 : Memorization Methods : Specifically Illustrated in Respect to Their Applicability to Codes and Topographic Material by ([ Riverbank Laboratories ] [ H. O. Nolan ]) from Kuenzig Books | Topsfield, MA | Bibliopolis.