Bonhams Sale of Alan Turing Papers Fetches £381,400, Led by Delilah Project Notes
The Facts
A collection of Alan Turing's autograph material, including more than 40 pages of working notes on the Delilah voice-scrambler project, sold for £381,400 at Bonhams' Fine Books and Manuscripts sale. The 118-lot auction achieved a total of £1,488,000. The Turing papers, which also included notes by collaborator Donald Bayley, were described by Bonhams as one of the most important such collections ever offered. Additional highlights included a first edition of Robert Boyle's "The Sceptical Chymist" (£279,800), four rediscovered David Hume letters (£127,400), and a collection of royal correspondence (£57,550).
The Signal
The sale underscores the sustained demand for historically significant scientific manuscripts, particularly those tied to foundational figures in computing. Turing's papers, newly discovered and unpublished, offered rare insight into his wartime work and later theoretical contributions. For collectors, the auction signals that material linking cryptography, mathematics, and the origins of artificial intelligence commands premium prices, especially when accompanied by direct provenance to Turing's inner circle.
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- People: Alan Turing, Donald Bayley, Matthew Haley, Robert Boyle, David Hume
- Auction Houses: Bonhams
- Locations: London
- Prices: £381,400, £1,488,000, £279,800, £127,400, £57,550, £43,520
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