sherborneschoolarchives
Alan Turing's 6th form reading
Alan Turing Archive, Sherborne School Collections, Sherborne School, Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset, UK, DT9 3AP.
Alan Mathison Turing (1912-1954) was a pupil at Sherborne School from May 1926 to July 1931. As a Sixth former at Sherborne School, Alan Turing was allowed to borrow books from the School library and between October 1928 and May 1931 he borrowed 33 titles, but only three works of fiction. A list of the books Alan Turing borrowed from Sherborne School library is available here: oldshirburnian.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Alan-Tur...
One of Alan Turing’s mathematics teachers at Sherborne was Donald Birkby Eperson. Eperson was a great advocate of the value of ‘Recreational Mathematics’ in the classroom, believing that it allowed boys to investigate problems and puzzles on their own and so he introduced them to the literary works of Lewis Carroll with their many arithmetical and logical allusions. Inspired by Eperson, Alan borrowed three books by Lewis Carroll from the School library in November 1930: 'The Game of Logic', 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass'.
The majority of the books that Alan Turing borrowed from the School library were for the subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics and astronomy, some of which Alan borrowed on several occasions, including Thomas Preston’s 'The Theory Heat' which he borrowed five times between February 1930 and June 1931. Other titles, such as J.H. Jean’s 'The Universe Around Us' and T.W. Webb’s 'Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes' he took away in December 1929 for Christmas holiday reading. In February-March 1929, he borrowed 'Science and the Modern World' by Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) who had attended Sherborne School from 1875 to 1880.
In November 1928, Alan borrowed W.W. Rouse Ball’s 'Mathematical Recreations and Essays'. This book contains information about the art of constructing cryptographs and ciphers and reveals Alan’s early interest in the subject.
Alan Turing and Christopher Morcom used to meet in the School library on Wednesday afternoons to discuss their shared interests in mathematics, science and astronomy.
In 1965, Alan's mother, Mrs Ethel Sara Turing, donated the Alan Turing Archive to Sherborne School.
For more information about the Alan Turing Archives held at Sherborne School visit: oldshirburnian.org.uk/alan-turing/
If you have any additional information about this image or if you would like to use one of our images then we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or contact us via the Sherborne School Archives website: oldshirburnian.org.uk/school-archives/contact-the-school-...
Alan Turing's 6th form reading
Alan Turing Archive, Sherborne School Collections, Sherborne School, Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset, UK, DT9 3AP.
Alan Mathison Turing (1912-1954) was a pupil at Sherborne School from May 1926 to July 1931. As a Sixth former at Sherborne School, Alan Turing was allowed to borrow books from the School library and between October 1928 and May 1931 he borrowed 33 titles, but only three works of fiction. A list of the books Alan Turing borrowed from Sherborne School library is available here: oldshirburnian.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Alan-Tur...
One of Alan Turing’s mathematics teachers at Sherborne was Donald Birkby Eperson. Eperson was a great advocate of the value of ‘Recreational Mathematics’ in the classroom, believing that it allowed boys to investigate problems and puzzles on their own and so he introduced them to the literary works of Lewis Carroll with their many arithmetical and logical allusions. Inspired by Eperson, Alan borrowed three books by Lewis Carroll from the School library in November 1930: 'The Game of Logic', 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass'.
The majority of the books that Alan Turing borrowed from the School library were for the subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics and astronomy, some of which Alan borrowed on several occasions, including Thomas Preston’s 'The Theory Heat' which he borrowed five times between February 1930 and June 1931. Other titles, such as J.H. Jean’s 'The Universe Around Us' and T.W. Webb’s 'Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes' he took away in December 1929 for Christmas holiday reading. In February-March 1929, he borrowed 'Science and the Modern World' by Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) who had attended Sherborne School from 1875 to 1880.
In November 1928, Alan borrowed W.W. Rouse Ball’s 'Mathematical Recreations and Essays'. This book contains information about the art of constructing cryptographs and ciphers and reveals Alan’s early interest in the subject.
Alan Turing and Christopher Morcom used to meet in the School library on Wednesday afternoons to discuss their shared interests in mathematics, science and astronomy.
In 1965, Alan's mother, Mrs Ethel Sara Turing, donated the Alan Turing Archive to Sherborne School.
For more information about the Alan Turing Archives held at Sherborne School visit: oldshirburnian.org.uk/alan-turing/
If you have any additional information about this image or if you would like to use one of our images then we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or contact us via the Sherborne School Archives website: oldshirburnian.org.uk/school-archives/contact-the-school-...