Codes and ciphers have been with us virtually since language was invented. On Tuesday, October 13, Newtown Historical Society, in conjunction with the C H Booth Library, will present a program on the use of codes, invisible writing, and other means of secret communication used during America’s first 100 years.

Richard Hubert will offer the program, “Reading Between The Lines: Secret Codes in American History,” in the community room of the library, 25 Main Street. The program will begin at 7:30 pm.

The program is being offered on Tuesday evening, rather than the historical society’s traditional Monday night time. This is being done to accommodate the Columbus Day holiday.

Concentrating on the period from the American Revolution to the Civil War, Mr Hubert will talk less about the effect of codes on the history and more on how they work, their construction and deconstruction; how to crack the code and get in on all the secrets, and even how to join in by using secret communications.

He will cover an array of methods, including substitution ciphers, crypto analysis, the Dumas cipher, grill codes, disks and wheels, book codes, the Playfair cipher, null ciphers, and if time permits, transposition ciphers, and invisible ink.  

Perhaps the most famous code in American history was that used by the Culper Ring during the Revolution. Washington became aware of the inability of his spying efforts to produce intelligence of any real value, and in 1778 he recruited men to form a new network to obtain and pass on information on British plans and maneuvers, primarily in New York City.

Operating under the pseudonyms of Samuel Culper, Sr, and Samuel Culper, Jr, names invented by Washington in honor of Culpepper County, Va., where he had been an early surveyor, the ring passed valuable information to military headquarters through Setauket, L.I., and Fairfield, Conn. Among other techniques, the operatives used coded messages published in newspapers, invisible ink written between lines of otherwise innocuous letters, and even allegedly different patterns of hanging clothes on a clothesline.

Richard Hubert, a longtime resident of Newtown, is a software engineer with a background in electrical engineering and business. A former Navy officer, he worked with crypto systems during the cold war.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

For further information visit newtownhistory.org or call 203-426-5937.