The Mysterious Code Uncovered in a Vintage Dress

In a small antique shop in Maine, Sara Rivers Cofield stumbled upon a unique Victorian dress that captivated her attention. She acquired the dress, known as "Bennett's Bronze Bustle," with a hidden pocket containing cryptic notes. Despite numerous attempts by online sleuths to solve the mystery, the code remained unsolved for years. It wasn't until Wayne Chan, a researcher from the University of Manitoba, cracked the code, revealing that these notes were, in fact, weather reports from 1888. The code was a form of shorthand used by the 19th-century telegraphic weather service to save on telegraph costs. By decoding the words, Chan pinpointed the exact date of the weather report: May 27, 1888. This discovery shed light on how people back then received weather information before the advent of modern weather apps. While the true identity of Bennett and the reason for storing these weather codes in the dress remain a mystery, both Chan and Rivers Cofield are delighted to have uncovered one of the biggest secrets surrounding the vintage garment.