Report: “Researchers Uncover Two Hidden Pages in Anne Frank’s Diary”

From The New York Times:

Anne Frank tried to cover up two pages of writing in her diary that contained dirty jokes and a description of what she referred to as “sexual matters,” pasting brown paper over the pages in her red-and-white plaid notebook.

But researchers here have revealed the hidden text using new digital technologies, the Anne Frank House and two other Dutch cultural institutions announced on Tuesday.

[Clip]

Researchers at the Anne Frank House discovered the two hidden pages in the original version of the diary while they were checking its condition and photographing the pages in 2016. The notebooks are in storage for safekeeping and only examined once every 10 years.

Until now, the technology that would have allowed researchers to look at the covered pages without destroying them wasn’t available. “When you touch the pages they can be damaged, so we don’t touch them,” said Teresien da Silva, head of collections at the Anne Frank House. Using photo-imaging software, they were able to decipher text beneath the brown paper without any contact with the pages.

Read the Complete Article

Additional Resources (via Anne Frank House in Amsterdam)

• AFH News Release

• FAQ About the Deciphered Hidden Pages in the Diary Of Anne Frank

• Read More About the Deciphered Hidden Pages in the Diary of Anne Frank

Filed under: Journal Articles, News