THE SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY: THE VERSE 70 DILEMA, ABSOLUTE PROOF THAT THE INK H CONCEALMENT METHOD WAS USED...

 

...A PUZZLE WITHIN AN ENIGMA
PERHAPS?...

This first image is the proof that INK H concealment technique was employed to handwrite the hidden code within each word. You can clearly see the white outline around the words and letters. This is not a digital effect. I took this photo whilst the printed image was developing using citric acid. So, I printed the image on an inkjet printer at a high-quality setting and onto bleed-proof paper.

In less than 2 minutes the citric acid had started to remove the lighter-colored ink first. Consider this, when an inkjet printer prints out it uses the high-resolution file information which effectively 'informs' the print head of the various shades of colour. In this case the lighter colour of dark grey of the words in the verse is removed first and then gradually the darker colouration is removed. This then means that the outer rim of each word was, as you can see, very evenly marked onto the original page and the ink is being removed progressively leaving the tell-tale lighter areas around each word.

In this case, the INK H method involved firstly, writing the whole verse out in cursive writing in ink. Next the microcode was handwritten but this time in pencil, within the first layer of handwritten, in ink, words. The challenge at this time was to prevent the concealed message from being detected and that is what would have happened if a strong light had been passed over the writing, the graphite would have responded to the light. To do this they simply applied another layer of ink over the first layer and its payload of concealed, penciled, code.

What you see in the photograph above is verse 70 but minus the first layer of ink. If you look carefully you will see some of the hidden code, the last line and the upright of the letter 'b' is one example.

...THE PROGRESSIVE EFFECT OF CITRIC ACID...

The image above was taken last week using the same recovery technique described in many previous posts on this blog. In it you can see what was the handwritten Verse 70, the inscription written by Jestyn into a copy of the Rubaiyat given by Nurse Jestyn to Army Lieutenant Alf Boxall in August 1945.

You can clearly see how the action of citric acid on the printed-out copy is progressive. What I mean is that the acid 'peels' away the thinnest layer of ink first as seen in the white outline surrounding each handwritten word. What it tells us is that this is a case where the INK H technique was used.

Followers of the blog will know that INK H is the method described in a January 1943 SOE Manual. First words are written in ink, then penciled code is added over the top of the ink. At this point it is obvious that any censor using a strong light would detect the presence of graphite quite quickly.

To minimise the discovery of the hidden code, another layer of ink was added over the pencil and ink already in place.

By default, this second layer overlaps the primary ink layer meaning that it is not quite as dark in appearance.

Thus it is when the citric acid is applied, that the secondary, therefore thinner layer of ink, is removed first. This manifests itself in this instance as a white surrounding for all the treated written words.

This also reveals the presence of the pencil-written code.

There is far more to this case than others may think and would have you believe, it is at its heart an espionage case and the use of known code concealment methods proves it beyond any doubt.

Carl Webb or a descendant may have in some way managed to contaminate the plaster bust but he was NOT the Somerton Man.

For comparison, here's the untreated copy of Verse 70:

If you magnify the dash, you could be surprised at what you find... don't over-magnify it though...


More to follow...