A Provisional Checklist of Voynich MS ``pages'' Jim Reeds 11 Sep 1995 Room 2C 357 AT&T Bell Laboratories 600 Mountain Avenue Murray Hill, NJ 07974 reeds@research.att.com 908 582 7066 Goal: A unique unambiguous name for each page in the VMS, to unobtrusively mesh with the existing foliation on the MS. While we're at it, a list of where copies of pages may be seen, and of what's on them. Plea: If you can supply new information, point out errors, or elucidate any of the puzzles, please let me know! Problems: The MS does not have pages. The concept of a ``page'' number is an anachronism. Because folio numbering of foldouts is more or less arbitrary, each author seems to pick a slightly different system. Reconciling Newbold, Brumbaugh and D'Imperio is sometimes hard. The creases on foldout folios sometimes form boundaries between distinct 'logical pages' and sometimes do not. That is, continuous lines of writing sometimes cross foldout creases. 1. Kraus's "35 MSS" lists 7 double folding folios, 3 triples, and 1 quadruple. Which are they? Newbold lists doubles: ff 67, 70 89, 90, 95, 101, and 102, triples: ff 68, 72, and 85/86 as a sextuple. 2. Kraus lists ff 59-64 as missing, Newbold does not. (Did they get lost in the intervening half-century?) (Newbold p44 mentions only 8 missing leaves, so the answer might be ``yes''.) Solution: When the 1931 Petersen photocopy was made, all the tricky foldout folios were labeled in white ink on the negative. (In a hand other than Petersen's.) In addition, Petersen put a pencilled circled page number on each 'page' appearing on the positive. The folio numbers were adopted by D'Imperio in her book, and the Petersen page numbers were used by all the computer transcription efforts. (The page numbers appearing in Currier's Table A are inconsistent with the Petersen page numbers in the ranges 167-179 and 206-236. He seems to be one page number out of sync in the latter range.) The Yale copy can also be used to define a system of page numbers, according to the frame number on the microfilm. These numbers are in 1-1 correspondence with sheets of paper in the Yale Copyflo print. This checklist uses the folio numbers on the Petersen copy. References to image and transcription loci: H. P. Kraus, ``35 Manuscripts'', inspected by Karl Kluge H. P. Kraus, ``A rare book saga -- The autobiography of H. P. Kraus'', New York, Putnam's, 1978. ISBN 399-12064-5 W. R. Bennett, Statistical and engineering problem-solving with the computer. Prentice-Hall, 1976. ISBN 0-13-795807-2. Wilfrid Blunt & Sandra Raphael, The Illustrated Herbal, London, 1979, Thames and Hudson, Inc. in assocuation with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 0-500-01226-1. Jim Gillogly's British Museum (Library?) film , MS. FACS. 461, { Positive rotographs of a Cipher MS. (folios 1-56) acquired in 1912 by Wilfred M. Voynich in Southern Europe; for description and bibliography v. Seymour de Ricci, Census of Medieval and Renaissance MSS., in U.S.A. and Canada, ii, pp. 1846-1847 (MS. no. 8). The rotograph presumably came into the possession of the British Museum circa 1931 (cf. Speculum, vi (1931, page 391, footnote 1). Incorporated 12 March 1947. [cf. MS. Facs. 439 for rotographs of some late folios & correspondence on the MS.] } [lacks: 14v 15r 34v 35r 41v 42r 42v 43r] Poundstone, Labyrinths of Reason Brumbaugh, Speculum 49, 1974, p546-8. Botany and the Voynich ``Roger Bacon'' manuscript once more. Brumbaugh, The Yale University Library Gazette, p347-335.. The solution of the Voynich ``Roger Bacon'' cipher. Robert S. Brumbaugh, ed. ``The most mysterious manuscript--the Voynich ``Roger Bacon'' cipher manuscript. Southern Illinois University Press, 1978. ISBN 0-8093-0808-8 (Many atrocious illustrations.) Capt. Prescott Currier, ``Some Notes and Observations'', New Research on the Voynich Manuscript: Proceedings of a Seminar, 30 November 1976, Washington DC. Brumbaugh, J. Warburg & Courtald Institutes. Scientific American, 28 May 1921 Harper's, CXLIII July 1921 p186-97 D'Imperio, computer transcription Guy, Cryptologia Kahn, The Codebreakers Manly, Speculum Newbold Yale film Zimansky Peter Way, "Codes and Ciphers", Crescent Books, (nd, ISBN 0-517-218674, reissue of 1977 Aldus Books edition, UK). Bound set of photostats in Friedman collection, apparantly Fr Petersen's photostats, or 1st generation copies therof. Various 1st Study Group transcription printouts, in WFF collection (not studied). Reeds, Cryptologia, Jan 1995. Leo Levitov, "Solution of the Voynich Manuscript", (Aegean Park Press, 1987,ISBN: 0-89412-148-0) General theory of foliation (for all folios except ff 85 & 86). The folio numbers were written when the foldouts were folded IN. We accept the folio numbers but do not neccessarily call the side of the leaf on which the folio number appears as the ``recto'' side. We imagine all foldouts completely folded out. When the binding gutter is to the left of the visible page (or pages, if it's a foldout) what you see is the recto side. If it is folio X, the recto pages are numbered left to right, Xr1, Xr2, ... Turn the leaf over. Now the binding gutter is on the right of the verso side, and the verso pages are numbered right to left Xv1, Xv2, ... Thus: (1) the pages are numbered AWAY FROM THE GUTTER, and (2) XvY is on the other side of XrY. What is a page? In most cases, a page is a rectangular panel of vellum bounded by (1) the edge of the vellum, (2) the binding gutter, and (3) foldout creases. In some cases, two adjacent such panels form one ``logical page'', with writing and pictures continuing over a foldout crease. Special theory of foliation for folios 85/86 What about ff 85 & 86? Here we have a horizontal foldout crease, and two vertical creases, so the whole piece of vellum is divided into 6 panels (or rather, each side of the vellum is divided into 6 panels): 3 above the horiz crease and 3 below. When folded out, with the 9 disk thing visible, we see this configuration: 85/86v2 85/86r4 85/86r6 85/86v1 85/86r3 85/86r5 with binding gutter between v1 and r3. On the opposite side (which one cannot actually see complete on one unfolding, because the rest of the book gets in the way) one has 85/86v6 85/86v4 85/86r2 85/86v5 85/86v3 85/86r1 with binding gutter beteen v3 and r1. NOTE: this conflicts with the notations I put on my xeroxes of Petersen's transcription, in boxes in the corners of the pages, and with previous editions of this 'checklist'. Old Reeds, wrong Correct 85/86r5 85/86r6 85/86r6 85/86r5 85/86v5 85/86v6 85/86v6 85/86v5 Acknowledgements and sources: Newbold, especially p. 45 D'Imperio, The Voynich Manuscript - an elegant enigma Petersen photostats at Friedman collection Petersen transcription at Friedman collection Yale film inspection of the transcription file at rand personal communication: Jim Gillogly, Karl Kluge, Mary D'Imperio Thanks to all! Format: pagename column1 column2 ; column3 pagename: official name for the page column 1: page numbers pencilled in Petersen's hand on WFF's photostats. These agree with D'Imperio's computer page numbers, and most of Currier's. (Currier's Table A is inaccurate on f 85/86, and possibly on f 87r, as well, and from f102 to end of book.) column 2: location: D = in Currier's machine transcription FSGx = FSG, item 1613 FSGy = FSG, extra stuff 2SGy = item 1609.4 3SG = additional machine transcription by 3d Study Group T = Tiltman 1951 transcription BL1 = British Library FACS 461 photocopies (Gillogly has a copy) BL2 = British Library FACS 439 photocopies column 3: ; description A = Currier's language A (from computer file and paper) B = Currier's language B (from computer file and paper) 1 2 3 4 5 X Y Currier's hands (from paper) Notes from from D'Imperio, fig.4, p.82: h = has ``herbal'' pictures c = has ``cosmological'' pictures a = has ``astronomical'' pictures p = has ``pharmaceutical'' pictures b = has ``biological'' pictures (human figures) T = text only K = has ``key like'' sequences E = has some writing in extraneous (non V) script x(folio-number) when author `x' does not agree w/ D'Imp. G(gathering-number) from D'Imp p100. 1r 1 D BL1 BL2.9 Lev p93 ; A1 T K E 1v 2 D BL1 Reeds p3 ; A1 h 2r 3 D BL1 ; A1 h 2v 4 D BL1 ; A1 h 3r 5 D BL1 ; A1 h 3v 6 D BL1 ; A1 h 4r 7 D BL1 ; A1 h 4v 8 D BL1 Reeds p4 ; A1 h 5r 9 D BL1 ; A1 h 5v 10 D BL1 ; A1 h 6r 11 D BL1 ; A1 h 6v 12 D BL1 ; A1 h 7r 13 D BL1 ; A1 h 7v 14 D BL1 Lev p10 ; A1 h 8r 15 D BL1 ; A1 h 8v 16 D BL1 ; A1 h G(1) 9r 17 D BL1 ; A1 h 9v 18 D BL1 ; A1 h 10r 19 D BL1 Kraus XXX (bottom); A1 h 10v 20 D BL1 ; A1 h 11r 21 D BL1 ; A1 h 11v 22 D BL1 ; A1 h 12 missing 13r 23 D BL1 ; A1 h 13v 24 D BL1 ; A1 h 14r 25 D BL1 Lev p57 ; A1 h 14v 26 D ; A1 h 15r 27 D ; A1 h 15v 28 D BL1 ; A1 h 16r 29 D BL1 ; A1 h 16v 30 D BL1 ; A1 h G(2) 17r 31 D BL1 ; A1 h E 17v 32 D BL1 ; A1 h 18r 33 D BL1 ; A1 h 18v 34 D BL1 ; A1 h 19r 35 D BL1 ; A1 h 19v 36 D BL1 ; A1 h 20r 37 D BL1 ; A1 h 20v 38 D BL1 ; A1 h 21r 39 D BL1 ; A1 h 21v 40 D BL1 ; A1 h 22r 41 D BL1 ; A1 h 22v 42 D BL1 Lev p109 ; A1 h 23r 43 D BL1 ; A1 h 23v 44 D BL1 ; A1 h 24r 45 D BL1 ; A1 h 24v 46 D BL1 ; A1 h G(3) 25r 47 D BL1 Lev p62 ; A1 h 25v 48 D BL1 ; A1 h 26r 49 D BL1 ; B2 h 26v 50 D BL1 ; B2 h 27r 51 D BL1 ; A1 h 27v 52 D BL1 Lev p146 ; A1 h 28r 53 D BL1 Lev p66 ; A1 h 28v 54 D BL1 ; A1 h 29r 55 D BL1 ; A1 h 29v 56 D BL1 ; A1 h 30r 57 D BL1 ; A1 h 30v 58 D BL1 ; A1 h 31r 59 D BL1 ; B2 h 31v 60 D BL1 ; B2 h 32r 61 D BL1 ; A1 h 32v 62 D BL1 ; A1 h G(4) 33r 63 D BL1 ; B2 h 33v 64 D BL1 NYT 6May75, Krauss 30(top)?, Kahn plate, B&R p90 ; B2 h ``Sunflowers'' 34r 65 D BL1 Krauss 30(top), B&R p91; B2 h ``Sunflowers'' 34v 66 D ; B2 h 35r 67 D ; A1 h 35v 68 D BL1 ; A1 h 36r 69 D BL1 ; A1 h 36v 70 D BL1 ; A1 h 37r 71 D BL1 ; A1 h 37v 72 D BL1 ; A1 h 38r 73 D BL1 ; A1 h 38v 74 D BL1 ; A1 h 39r 75 D BL1 ; B2 h 39v 76 D BL1 ; B2 h 40r 77 D BL1 ; B2 h 40v 78 D BL1 ; B2 h G(5) 41r 79 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 41v 80 D FSGy ; B2 h 42r 81 D FSGy ; A1 h 42v 82 D FSGy ; A1 h 43r 83 D FSGy ; B2 h 43v 84 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 44r 85 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 44v 86 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 45r 87 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 45v 88 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 46r 89 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 46v 90 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 47r 91 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 47v 92 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 48r 93 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 48v 94 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h G(6) 49r 95 D FSGy BL1 Brumbaugh p4, Harper's ; A1 h K `potato' 49v 96 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 50r 97 D FSGy BL1 Lev p45 ; B2 h 50v 98 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 51r 99 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 51v 100 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 52r 101 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 52v 102 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 53r 103 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 53v 104 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 54r 105 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 54v 106 D FSGy BL1 ; A1 h 55r 107 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 55v 108 D FSGy BL1 ; B2 h 56r 109 D FSGy BL1 Kraus p45,Zimansky,Lev p103; A1 h `fern' 56v 110 D FSGy ; A1 h G(7) 57r 111 D FSGy ; B2 h 57v 112 FSGy ; B2 c K E 58r 113 FSGy ; A T 58v 114 ; A T 59-64 missing 65r 115 ; h 65v 116 BL2.3 3SG Newbold plate II ; h 66r 117 BL2.3 Brumbaugh Yale Lib Gaz p352, Lev p23; B T K E 66v 118 ; B h G(8) 67r1 119,120 2SG Newbold plate III, Brumbaugh p66; a, moon&circles, n(67r),b(67r) G(9) 67r2 121,124 2SG ; a 67v2 122 Newbold plate XX, SciAm ; c, N's ``eclipse'' n(67r) 67v1 123 SciAm(?) ; a 68r1 125 2SG BL2.2 Kraus plate 31(top) ; a star names 68r2 126 2SG BL2.2 Lev p6 ; a 68r3 127 ; a 68v3 128 2SG Way p140, Newbold XIII, XXI, XXII, Harpers; c, N's ``Andromeda nebula'' n(68r) 68v2 129 2SG 3SG Brumbaugh p41 (?) ; a b(68r) 68v1 130 Lev p158 ; a 69r 131 2SG ; c 69v 132 ; c 70r1 133 Lev p72 ; c 70r2 134 2SG ; E 70v2 135 Newbold IV, Brumbaugh frontispeice, Lev p172; Pisces n(70r), b(70r) 70v1 136 Lev p164 ; Aries (dark) G(10) 71r 137 ; Aries (light) 71v 138 Newbold plate XXIV ; Taurus (light) n(79v) 72r1 139 Harper's(?),Lev p169 ; Taurus (dark) 72r2 140 ; Gemini 72r3 141 ; Cancer 72v3 142 ; Leo 72v2 143 ; Virgo 72v1 144 Newbold XXV ; Libra n(72v) G(11) 73r 145 ; Scorpio 73v 146 ; Sagittarius 74 missing ; Capricorn, Aquarius? 75r 147 2SG D ; B2 b 75v 148 2SG D ; B2 b 76r 149 2SG D reversed in Brumbaugh p114 ; B2 T K 76v 150 2SG D ; B2 b 77r 151 2SG D ; B2 b 77v 152 2SG D Kahn p865, Kraus XXIX ; B2 b ladies in tubes 78r 153 2SG D Newbold plate V, Kraus XXIX, Kraus Autobiog p220; B2 b 78v 154 2SG D BL2.4 B&R p88 ; B2 b 79r 155 2SG D BL2.4 B&R p88 ; B2 b 79v 156 2SG D Guy p212, Bennett p188, Poundstone p193, Zimansky, Lev p16; B2 b mermaid, parasol, b(80) 80r 157 2SG D Guy p213, Bennett p189;Lev p43; B2 b queens on top, g(80v) 80v 158 2SG D Lev p158 ; B2 b 81r 159 2SG D Brumbaugh p9, Harper's; Lev p24; B2 b ``hot tubs'' 81v 160 2SG D ; B2 b 82r 161 2SG D ; B2 b 82v 162 2SG D Brumbaugh p104 ; B2 b B's allegorical reproduction 83r 163 2SG D ; B2 b 83v 164 2SG D ; B2 b 84r 165 2SG D Newbold VI, Zimansky ; B2 b Public baths 84v 166 2SG D ; B2 b G(13) 85/86r1 167 2SG ; B3 T Has '85' in corner 85/86r2 171 Lev p151 ; B3 c 85/86r3,r4,v1,v2 Kraus XXXIII, Newbold VIII; B3 network of rosettes 85/8r5 ; r(85/8r6) 85/8r6 ; r(85/8r5) 85/86v3 173,174 2SG Newbold VII, SciAm, Brumbaugh p54; B3 c n(86v) ``coition'', b(85r) G(14) 85/86v4 168 2SG Lev p51 ; B3 c moon, 5 frothy rings, 4 torsos 85/86v5 172 2SG ; B3 T r(85/86v6) Has '86' in corner 85/86v6 169 2SG ; B3 T r(85/86v5) 87r 175 2SG ; A4 h 87v 180 ; A4 h 88r 181 Washington Post, 5 Aug 62 (Sunday) ; A4 p 88v 182 ; A4 p 89r1 183 ; A p 89r2 184 ; A p 89v2 185 ; A p 89v1 186 ; A p 90r1 187 ; A h 90r2 188 ; A h 90v2 189 ; A h 90v1 190 ; A h G(15) 91-92 missing 93r 191 Brumbaugh p80 ; A4 h O'Neill's ``American Sunflower'' 93v 192 ; A4 h 94r 193 ; B5 h 94v 194 ; B5 h 95r1 195 ; B5 h 95r2 196 ; B5 h 95v2 197 ; B5 h 95v1 198 ; B5 h 96r 199 ; A4 h 96v 200 ; A4 h G(17) 97-98 missing 99r 201 Kraus plate XXXI ; A4? p labeled jars 99v 202 B&R p88 ; A4? p faces ``capsicum'' 100r 203 3SG B&R p88, Brum Spec. p547, Brum p96, Way p138;A4? p, B's ``pepper'' 100v 204 Brumbaugh p86 ; A4? p ``medicinal herbs'' 101r1 205 ; A4? p (101r[12] form a logical page) 101r2 205 ; A4? p (101r[12] form a logical page) 101v2 206 ; A4? p 101v1 207 3SG ; A4? p 102r1 208 ; A p 102r2 209 ; A p 102v2 210 ; A p 102v1 211 ; A p G(19) 103r 212 ; BX T stars G(20) 103v 213 ; BX T stars 104r 214 Lev p170 ; BX T stars 104v 215 ; BX T stars 105r 216 ; BY T stars 105v 217 T ; BY T stars 106r 218 T ; BX T stars 106v 219 T 3SG ; BX T stars 107r 220 T ; B T stars 107v 221 T BL2.5 ; B T stars 108r 222 T BL2.5 ; B T stars 108v 223 T BL2.6 ; B T stars 109 missing 110 missing 111r 224 T BL2.6 ; B T stars 111v 225 T FSGx BL2.7 ; B T stars 112r 226 T FSGx BL2.7 ; B T stars 112v 227 T FSGx BL2.8 ; B T stars 113r 228 T FSGx BL2.8 ; B T stars 113v 229 FSGx ; B T stars 114r 230 FSGx ; B T stars 114v 231 ; B T stars 115r 232 ; B T stars 115v 233 ; B T stars 116r 234 ; B T stars 116v 235 BL2.10 ; B K E ``Key oladabas'' Jim Reeds