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PSA: My great-grandpa's diary has a coded page from WWI.
How do I crack the code without damaging it?
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gray3146mo ago
Take a clear photo of the page to make a digital copy. You can then test different code ideas on the image without touching the diary. It's the best way to keep the old paper from getting damaged.
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rayc946mo ago
Tbh "the best way to keep the old paper from getting damaged" sounds a bit much. Honestly, how much damage are we talking about? It's a diary, not the Declaration of Independence. A little smudging from turning pages isn't the end of the world. People act like every old book is a museum piece that'll crumble if you look at it wrong. Seems like overkill to me.
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nora_webb516mo ago
Honestly rayc94 has a point about it not being the Declaration of Independence. If it's just a personal diary from maybe fifty years ago, the paper is probably still pretty sturdy. I get what @ward.tara is saying with truly fragile stuff, but for most things, careful hands are enough. You don't always need to jump straight to scanning like it's a priceless artifact.
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ward.tara6mo ago
Ever seen an old newspaper crumble just from being opened? I tried to read my grandpa's war letters and the edges turned to dust. Now I scan anything fragile before I even touch it.
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