Enigma & Friends

Enigma is perhaps the best known cipher machine of all time - but it was not alone.

From 1920 onwards, several companies and countries developed mechanical cipher systems for commercial, military and diplomatic use. Mechanical systems promised more complex ciphers, greater security and speed in use.

This extensive private collection, owned by John Alexander and David White, allows Bletchley Park to show many more machines that were contemporaries of the Enigma. Specifically, British cipher machines released by GCHQ, a Russian made, Enigma-like, machine from the Cold War era plus a range of Hagelin equipment from 1936 to the 1970’s. This exhibition displays machines representing Britain, Germany, USA, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland - Hagelins alone sold to 120 countries around the world.

Part of the Block-B exhibition centre