EINSTEIN, ALBERTABAA
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1912réf. 3056np: np 1912. first edition. custom box. Very Good. ON THE ROAD TO RELATIVITY: A four-panel working bifolium from Einstein's early post-Minkowski tensor phase. A remarkable working sheet showing Einstein making tensor formalism physically operational for continuum mechanics. Across three working zones the manuscript moves from a formal four-dimensional tensor transformation identity written in a distinct unidentified hand to Einstein's own derivations involving Volumenkraft Druckkraft stress force density diagrammatic testing and a heavily underlined mechanical equilibrium result. The folded rotated format gives the sheet the character of a compact notebook in miniature: formal tensor language brought into contact with physical terms local force relations diagrams and repeated calculation. The manuscript's all-lower-index notation explicit summations in Einstein's hand mixed coordinate idiom second-hand tensor identity and visible effort to make tensor language mechanically operational point most naturally to the 1912-1913 Zurich tensor period when Einstein was absorbing the post-Minkowski mathematics that General Relativity would require. Later revisitations cannot be entirely excluded but they explain the sheet less naturally. A rare survival documenting Einstein's working method on one of the foundational matter-side problems on the road to General Relativity. EINSTEIN ALBERT. Autograph scientific manuscript unsigned and undated most plausibly 1912-1913. A four-panel working bifolium 330 × 210 mm open from Einstein's early post-Minkowski tensor period retained among his private research papers and annotated by Helen Dukas: "A.E.'s Handwriting H.D." Provenance: Sotheby's New York 26 June 1998; Jagdish Mehra. PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BENEATH THE IMAGES FOR A PDF CONTAINING THE FULL DESCRIPTION. np unknown books
1880réf. 24284A unique and important artifact of his childhood. ALBERT EINSTEIN. Ephemera. Set of Anker-Steinbaukasten children's building blocks by F. Ad. Richter & Cie. Rudolstadt Germany c.1880s. Approximately 160 composite quartz sand chalk and linseed oil blocks in red limestone and slate gray in various sizes and shapes together with three or more sets of building plans all contained in two wooden boxes with printed Anker-Steinbaukasten labels. Einstein spent his childhood building "complicated structures" with these Anker-Steinbaukasten blocks. Accepting his later theory that "Imagination is more important than knowledge" the toys that encouraged his imagination became building blocks for the most important scientific theories of the last millennium. His sister Maja Winteler-Einstein describing his childhood recalled that "The games he played … were very characteristic of Albert's capacities. These were mostly puzzles fretsaw work the erection of complicated structures with the well-known Anker building blocks and above all the construction of multi-storied card castles with which he filled his leisure." "Beitrag für sein Lebensbild" in The collected papers of Albert Einstein. ed. John Stachel. Volume 1: The early years. 1879-1902. Princeton University Press 1987 p.lix. Translated from German. Based on the work of German educator Friedrich Froebel who created the concept of kindergarten these composite stone blocks were a popular toy of the 1880s and 1890s. The blocks were designed to help develop childrens' tactile senses and manual dexterity and also to stimulate imagination creativity and three-dimensional perception. Fellow scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer as well as architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius are among the geniuses who are known to have played with Anker blocks. Provenance The set had passed by direct descent from Albert Einstein to the consignor from whom we acquired the blocks at Christie's London on July 13 2016. Condition A few blocks chipped and worn with original instructions and boxes worn soiled and defective. Albert Einstein 1879-1955 was a German-Swiss born theoretical physicist internationally recognized as one of the greatest physicists of all time. He enunciated the general theory of Relativity with law explaining the relationship between the speed of light and its consequence the equivalence of mass and energy E=MC2. For his work in theoretical physics—largely for his 1905 paper on photons and photo-electricity—Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics announced in November 1922 retroactive for 1921. Working on a unified field theory he then attempted to explain gravitation and electromagnetism within one set of laws. With the expulsion of Jewish scholars from Germany after Hitler's rise to power Einstein joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton New Jersey 1933 which became the most celebrated research center in the world. In 1939 he signed a letter written to President Franklin Roosevelt warning him of the possibility of Germany developing a nuclear bomb. He urged the U.S. to begin uranium research thus beginning the top secret "Manhattan Project." Later at Princeton he tried to develop a unified field theory and to refute the accepted interpretation of quantum physics both unsuccessfully. Einstein received U.S. citizenship in 1940. books
1948réf. 3094Princeton: np 1948. first edition. Very Good. ONE OF EINSTEIN'S MOST DIRECT STATEMENTS ON GOD: A POWERFUL AND CONCISE PRECURSOR TO HIS CELEBRATED "GOD LETTER". In the letter dated September 25 1948 and addressed to the Indiana University student Barbara Homans Einstein writes: "I believe that the idea of a personal God is too anthropomrphic sic and childlike to be considered seriously. We have to content ourselves with that modest insight which is accessible to us." The letter is a strikingly concentrated statement of Einstein's religious philosophy. In two sentences he rejects the notion of an anthropomorphic personal deity while setting against it a characteristically modest view of human knowledge: rather than claiming access to metaphysical certainty "we have to content ourselves" with the limited understanding available to us. That formulation places the letter squarely within one of the most important recurring themes of Einstein's later correspondence: his distinction between conventional belief in a personal God and his own sense of awe before the rational order of the universe. Six years later in his famous letter to the philosopher Eric Gutkind of 3 January 1954 Einstein would return to the same subject in far greater detail describing the word "God" as an expression of human weakness and rejecting traditional religious conceptions with exceptional directness. Christie's described the Gutkind letter as Einstein's most fully articulated statement of his religious and philosophical views; it sold in 2018 for $2892500 at Christie's. The present letter is remarkable because the essential position of the later "God Letter" is already present here in distilled form. The shared target is the anthropomorphic personal God: a conception Einstein repeatedly rejected while maintaining that a profound sense of wonder before the structure of nature could still be called religious. It is a direct statement of Einstein's mature religious philosophy anticipating the central argument of the 1954 "God Letter" by more than five years. Typed letter signed "A. Einstein" to Barbara Homans. Princeton 25 September 1948. One page 8 1/2 x 11 in typed on Einstein's Princeton stationery with embossed address at head; signed "A. Einstein" in ink. Folded for mailing with light toning and a few small stains. np unknown books
1952réf. 3091Princeton: np 1952. First edition. no binding. Very Good. EXTRAORDINARY EINSTEIN LETTER IN ENGLISH EXPLAINING SIMULTANEITY ONE OF THE CENTRAL TENETS OF RELATIVITY THEORY. Einstein's "1905 paper on special relativity is widely regarded as having destroyed the classical conceptions of absolute time and space along with absolute simultaneity and absolute length which had reigned in physics from the times of Galileo and Newton to the dawn of the twentieth century. The Special Theory teaches us that simultaneity is not as we supposed an absolute concept but is always relative to some inertial frame of reference. If we change the inertial frame of reference we change the events to be reckoned simultaneous." -Craig and Smith Einstein Relativity and Absolute Simultaneity The concept of simultaneity lies at the core of relativity theory. The very first sub-section of Einstein's legendary 1905 paper on Special Relativity is introduced by the title "Definition of Simultaneity" and "in the second paragraph of his 1905 relativity paper Einstein proved that simultaneity as defined in the first paragraph is a relative concept. This means as Einstein explained that 'we must not ascribe absolute meaning to the concept of simultaneity; instead two events that are simultaneous when observed from some particular coordinate system can no longer be considered simultaneous when observed from a system that is moving relative to that system.' In these words Einstein for the first time offered an explicit definition of what he means when he speaks of a relative concept. As we see it is a concept whose validity depends on the coordinate system chosen or in brief it is a frame-dependent concept. Simultaneity is no longer a binary relation depending also on the coordinate-frame involved. Furthermore Einstein's proof of the relativity of simultaneity in this paragraph is the first ever published rigorous proof of the relativity of a physical concept. The relativity of simultaneity became also the first major subject of dispute between proponents and opponents of the theory of relativity" Max Jammer Concepts of Simultaneity: From Antiquity to Einstein and Beyond. When Einstein expanded his relativity theory into his General Theory of 1916 the notion of simultaneity became less well-defined and more problematic and therefore much-debated. Einstein in the present letter is answering a question from Dr. Waldron Gardiner a physician apparently without any particular expertise in relativity theory about the concept of simultaneity in space the domain of general relativity. Dated July 10 1952 the letter reads in full: Dear Sir: "Your difficulty stems from the fact that you do not distinguish between general and special theory of relativity the latter being a limit case where you neglect gravitation. In the latter case there are special coordinate systems inertial systems and with respect to such system the concept of simultaneity has a sharp meaning and can be defined empirically by light signals. In general relativity the space and time coordinates have no direct physical meaning so that also the concept of simultaneity of spatially distant events has no physical meaning. Physical meaning can be attributed to this concept only in certain special cases which are characterized by certain symmetry qualities. Such case is not realized in nature. But in those idealizations which we use to represent expanding space there are coordinate systems representing space-time in the mathematically simplest form. With respect to such coordinate systems simultaneity has meaning but the definition of simultaneity as defined in special relativity theory is out of place here. Very sincerely yours SignedA. Einstein PrintedAlbert Einstein In short Einstein is explaining to Dr. Gardiner that since "space and time coordinates have no direct physical meaning" in cosmological terms i.e. there are no frames of reference that cover all of space his understanding of simultaneity in general relativity is flawed and based on the model of special relativity "a limit case" achieved only through a reductive and localized application of general relativity. Einstein concludes the letter with the provocative comment that in idealized systems representing expanding space simultaneity has meaning and in fact this "meaning" of simultaneity in general relativity has become a fertile area of exploration over the years see Jammer ibid. Note: A carbon of Dr. Gardiner's original letter to Einstein is included. Princeton: July 10 1952. One 8.5 x 11 inch page of Einstein's Institute for Advanced Study letterhead. Signed "A. Einstein" in ink. Date corrected from July 9th to July 10th. Usual but very light folds small spot of soiling at top left corner; a tiny bit of toning to extreme edges. Housed in custom presentation folder. LETTERS BY EINSTEIN DISCUSSING MAJOR ELEMENTS OF RELATIVITY PARTICULARLY IN ENGLISH ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE. np unknown books
1943réf. 2376Princeton NJ: np 1943. First edition. nb. Fine. EINSTEIN OFFERS STRONG AND PRESCIENT WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE LEADER OF THE NAACP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RACIAL SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Background: Einstein's fight against racial discrimination in the United States: The imperative "to protect the rights of the individual. was Einstein's most fundamental political tenet. Individualism and freedom were necessary for creative art and science to flourish. Personally politically and professionally he was repulsed by any restraints. "That is why he remained outspoken about racial discrimination in America. As a Jew who had grown up in Germany Einstein was acutely sensitive to such discrimination. 'The more I feel an American the more this situation pains me' he wrote in an essay called 'The Negro Question' for the January 1946 issue of Pageant magazine. 'I can escape the feeling of complicity in it only by speaking out.'" Isaacson Albert Einstein 505. Even more directly in his 1946 commencement speech to Lincoln University the first degree-granting Historically Black College and University HBCU in the United States Einstein strongly denounced segregation as "an American tradition which is uncritically handed down from one generation to the next" noting that "There is separation of colored people from white people in the United States. That separation is not a disease of colored people. It is a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it." This remarkable letter - from 1943 - is one of the earliest examples of his interest in condemning racism in the United States. The letter: Dated 22 September 1943 and handwritten on his embossed Mercer Street Princeton letterhead Einstein writes in English to Walter F. White the enormously influential African-American civil rights leader who led the NAACP from 1929-1955 praising him for his work and revealing his own awareness of and frustrations with racism and prejudice in America. The text reads in full: Dear Mr. White: I have been quite impressed by the address you delivered some years ago at a meeting of the Princeton Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. I know how hard it is to awaken the conscience even of good-hearted and well-meaning people when deep rooted prejudices are in the way. It is a great work indeed which you are doing relentlessly for the betterment of the living conditions of our Colored fellow-citizens for justice and for the accomplishment of national unity of the American people. With sincere respect and kind wishes Yours Albert Einstein ------------- On April 28 1940 White was the keynote speaker at "an inter-racial meeting sponsored by the Princeton branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People" where his topic was "What Happens to Democracy When It Encounters the Color Line." Princeton Herald April 26 1940. At the time Princeton did not admit African Americans and the community was debating the question of whether or not to end segregation at the university. Princeton in fact did not admit its first African-American student until the fall of 1947. Einstein - writing in 1943 - notes that he heard White speak "some years ago". Something clearly must have deeply impressed Einstein about White's speech for him to write this thoughtful letter to White over three years after the event. Note: In addition to its content this apparently unpublished letter is also remarkable for being one of the very few letters Einstein hand-wrote in English during this period as German was still very much his preferred tongue. Princeton: September 22 1943. One page on Einstein's embossed Mercer Street Princeton letterhead 7.25x10 in visible handsomely matted and framed with a photograph of Einstein. Fine condition. np unknown books
réf. 184029/9/54. The fullest summation we have seen by Einstein comparing relativity to Newtonian concepts of space and time Immanuel Kant took both Euclidean geometry and the Newtonian laws of motion to be synthetic a priori principles which from Kant’s point of view function as necessary presuppositions for applying our fundamental concepts of space time matter and motion to our sensible experience of the natural world meaning they are fixed necessary conditions. This idea rested on the absolute nature of space and time the work of Newton and the relationship between geometry and physics. In 1905 while a young patent clerk and physicist in Bern Switzerland Albert Einstein obtained his doctorate and published a paper that explained his newly developed Special Theory of Relativity. This unlocked many mysteries of the universe and introduced the world to ""e=mc2"" equating mass and the speed of light with energy. It established that time and space are not fixed and in fact change to maintain a constant speed of light regardless of the relative motions of sources and observers. Just 10 years later in 1915 Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity which described the universe as a four-dimensional continuum with time added as the fourth dimension where gravitational effects are explained by the warping of space-time. In this theory Einstein incorporated gravity as a geometric property of space-time. The impact of Einstein's work between 1905 and 1915 challenged many principles of physics that had been accepted for centuries. In 1921 he won the Nobel Prize for his work. Time Magazine named him the Person of the Century for the 20th century for his discoveries in relativity and space-time. Einstein is the most important scientist since Isaac Newton and probably the most famous in history. Space and time were considered relativistic more subjective and not the fixed a priori notions that had long permeated the mathematical and scientific worlds. Max Fischler was a California scientist who was interested in the implications of this distinction: were space and time now to be studied together in this context only or were the nature of space and the nature of time different In special relativity what appears simultaneous to one person might not to another - they are relative. You cannot separate space and time; they occur subjectively and semi-dependently but are not tied to the content of that space. With General Relativity space-time remains but matter warps it. It's a field like the sheet of a trampoline but reacts to matter. One needs all four dimensions of space-time and without them the others don't exist. You need matter for space. On September 5 1954 he wrote to Einstein: "".Can anything in your theory of Relativity be said to throw new light on the nature of space and time themselves Or must we rest satisfied with the purely new logical treatment of these conceptions In other words does the new view of space and time as space-time carry any new meaning ontologically beyond the purely mathematical and logical relationship between the two. Or to put it differently: When Minkowski in his famous words said 'Space by itself and time by itself must not sink into the mere shadows and only a kind of union of the two can preserve an independent existence' did he not attach some new real meaning to the 'spacetime' which the old independent notions of space and time could not convey If so in what does this new meaning consist."" Four days later Einstein replied in this letter: Typed letter signed in German on his personal blind embossed letterhead Princeton September 9 1954 to Max Fishler. ""The expression cited in the second paragraph only signifies the wish for logical clarity in the formal expressions. De facto the justification for concepts lies in their ability to comprehend the empirically given. ""In classical mechanics space and time were completed existences which had to be presupposed as real a priori in order to give meaning to the laws of motion. It was a reality in the same sense as the reality of matter; even governing the latter. In this sense Kant was entirely wrong. ""The case was the same as regards the Special Theory of Relativity only that an objective separation of space and time was abandoned in the sense that there could no longer be any objective simultaneity. Here too the four dimensional space is a reality independently of the physical content of space. ""Regarding the General Theory of Relativity however this is principally different. What we call ""space"" is here only an extension of a Field dimensionality hence no longer independent of the content of space. It is real in the same sense as matter but has no real existence independently of matter. When the field is taken away there does not remain any space but just nothing.” Letters of Einstein directly relating to relativity are increasingly uncommon and this is one of the finest such letters we have had. unknown books
1702réf. 1536217/02/1953. In this letter from Einstein to David Bohm Einstein discusses the importance of connecting a key principle of the relatively new theory of quantum mechanics the “Born interpretation” to physical quantities that can be measured in the real world. To him it is essential that mathematical theories be connected to measurable quantities. In this letter Einstein’s uneasiness with quantum mechanics is apparent saying that validation of the seemingly random quantum mechanics “…can only be done on the basis of classical mechanics.” Without this validation quantum theory has essentially “no controllable meaning.” <img class=""alignnone wp-image-22637 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204163327/Einstein-born-2-e1639117238988-1600x656.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""656"" /> Max Born was a renowned physicist who was crucial for the development of quantum mechanics and also the Ph.D. supervisor of many important physicists including J. Robert Oppenheimer. Quantum mechanics describes the weird behavior of tiny subatomic particles. It’s also the guiding theory that led to critical technologies like nuclear power MRI machines and transistors in computers and phones. One of Born’s biggest contributions to quantum mechanics was the interpretation of the probability density which is a mathematical operation performed on the “psi-function” in Einstein’s words to predict the most probable physical quantities of a quantum particle. Einstein believed that probabilities only make sense if you can determine the values that they predict independently by measurement. This is easy to do in classical Newtonian mechanics the physics of big things in everyday life. But Einstein said we can’t measure it for something like a “bound electron” i.e. an electron in an atom. In order to interpret Born’s probability density function you need to connect the mathematics to real values. Einstein’s correspondence with Born on this subject is published and famous. To Einstein the universe is observable and measurable. When confronted with one of the principle tenets of Quantum Mechanics Einstein remarked now famously “Quantum mechanics is very imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not the real McCoy. The theory delivers a lot but hardly brings us closer to the secret of the Old One God. I for one am convinced that He does not throw dice.” This statement was made in one of those significant letters to Born. What he meant here is that rules of science cannot be random and in the rolling of dice we would have to accept unknown variables and therefore be unable to predict precisely via objective measurements. Therefore in Quantum Mechanics as in gambling an uncertainty of measurement exists. And to Einstein the universe is observable and measurable. He did not object to Quantum Mechanics per se; indeed he made notable contributions. But he eschewed any reliance on what was not observable and knowable. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-22634 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204163356/Einstein-born-5-e1639117103621-1600x616.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""616"" /> David Joseph Bohm was an American scientist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century and who contributed unorthodox ideas to quantum theory neuropsychology and the philosophy of mind. His first book Quantum Theory published in 1951 was well received by Einstein among others. But Bohm became dissatisfied with the orthodox interpretation of quantum theory he had written about in that book.Bohm’s aim was not to set out a deterministic mechanical viewpoint but to show that it was possible to attribute properties to an underlying reality in contrast to the conventional approach. He began to develop his own interpretation the De Broglie–Bohm theory also called the Pilot wave theory the predictions of which agreed perfectly with the non-deterministic quantum theory. He initially referred to his approach as a hidden variable theory. Bohm originally hoped that hidden variables could provide a local causal objective description that would resolve or eliminate many of the paradoxes of Quantum Mechanics the measurement problem and the collapse of the wavefunction. However Bell’s theorem complicates this hope as it demonstrates that there can be no local hidden variable theory that is compatible with the predictions of Quantum Mechanics. The Bohmian interpretation is causal but not local. Albert Einstein who had suggested that Bohm search for a realist alternative to the prevailing Copenhagen approach did not consider Bohm’s interpretation to be a satisfactory answer to the quantum question. The Copenhagen interpretation is an expression of the meaning of Quantum Mechanics that was largely devised in the years 1925 to 1927 by Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. It remains one of the most commonly taught interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. According to the Copenhagen interpretation physical systems generally do not have definite properties prior to being measured and Quantum Mechanics can only predict the probabilities that measurements will produce certain results. The act of measurement affects the system causing the set of probabilities to reduce to only one of the possible values immediately after the measurement. In classical mechanics a particle has at every moment an exact position and an exact momentum. These values change deterministically as the particle moves according to Newton’s laws. Under the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics particles do not have exactly determined properties and when they are measured the result is randomly drawn from a probability distribution. The Schrödinger equation predicts what the probability distributions are but fundamentally cannot predict the exact result of each measurement. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-22633 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204163406/Einstein-born-e1639117155596-1600x360.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""360"" /> Typed letter signed on his blind embossed letterhead February 17 1953 Professor Bohm. “Dear Bohm: I thank you very much for the prompt reaction to my little article. I did of course not expect that you would agree with me. For scarcely anyone is inclined to abandon an enterprise in which le has invested a great deal of work. “I do not want to answer your letter in detail although it deserves it very much. Only a short remark concerning the interpretation of Born’s standpoint: “According to Born the physical meaning of the psi-function follows: it determines probabilities f.i. for the value of impulses. this makes sense only if the impulse is defined independently of the mathematical theory by some feasible measurement. This can only be done on the basis of classical mechanics. F.i. if one has calculated the impulse of a bound electron on the basis of a psi-function then this result has no controllable meaning. For there is no possibility to measure such a thing not even approximately. However if one has to do with a makro-object which is at least temporarily approximately free then one is able to determine experimentally at least approximately its impulsef.i. through two successive snapshots or through radar. If it is at all possible to attribute meaning to Born’s interpretation then the impulse the probability of which appears in the theory has to be put equal to the impulse thus measured. Classical approxi_mate measurement of the impulse is however in my example very well feasible without first removing the walls and then waiting some time. Born’s probability therefore has to be interpreted as relative to the impulse thus measured if this probability is to have any meaning at all. “The vanishing of position-probability for the nodes offers no difficulty though it is true that this fact excludes the interpretation of the process as a motion in the strict sense of the word. For the factual process will only approximately be describable as a motion as f.i. the action of a gas upon a small part of the wall is describable only approximately by the concept of pressure. “With regard to the publication of your remarks in the Born volume I have some scruples the reason for which you will readily understand. I have sent a copy of my article to you but not to de Broglie because this would have seemed to me somewhat pretentious. If therefore your answer would be published together with my remarks without de Broglie having had the possibility to do the same he might feel it as an unkindness from my side. “This would be avoided if you would send De Broglie my remarks together with your reply adding that you do this with my consent. If you have done this and have received his reaction to it – then the editors of the Born volume can be approached in the matter. I would consider it as reasonable and justified to do so.” <img class=""alignnone wp-image-22636 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204163341/Einstein-born-3-1-e1639117201589-1600x672.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""672"" /> This is a remarkably detailed scientific letter mentioning numerous significant physicists containing a hand-drawn symbol and directly relating to his important theories. It is also in a sense his defense of his own work including relativity. unknown books
réf. 342445/11/19. A remarkable letter before his great fame referencing and shown to Marie Curie Einstein who helped free so many from the jaws of Nazism makes an impassioned plea for a World War I German POW in France who would escape but later die in the Holocaust In 1905 while a young patent clerk and physicist in Bern Switzerland Albert Einstein obtained his doctorate and published a paper that explained his newly developed Special Theory of Relativity. This unlocked many mysteries of the universe and introduced the world to the idea equating mass and the speed of light with energy which we know today as e=mc2. Einstein's insight and one element that distanced his work from that of Newton was to recognize that mc2 was the proper energy of mass the energy associated with that mass and was independent of its motion. Mass must be measured in this way as resting mass. This was a foundation of e=mc2. The breakdown of molecules therefore released energy. This energy is often used by cells to perform work such as powering movement. In the early years of the 20th century thanks to the development of mass spectrographs science had acquired the capacity to ""weigh"" atoms with extreme precision. Indeed Einstein provided the theoretical explanation for Brownian motion while French Chemist Perrin experimentally verified Einstein's theory solidifying the evidence for the existence of atoms. Scientists among them Perrin noted that when comparing the mass of a helium nuclei to that of the four elementary nuclei it was made of there was a slight discrepancy—one helium atom was slightly lighter than four hydrogen atoms; in other words the whole was smaller than the sum of the parts. Where did the missing mass go Einstein knew the answer: in accordance with his famous E=mc_ equation a tiny fraction of the mass had been transformed into a formidable quantity of energy. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-34256 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20250724151316/Einstein-Nov-1919-1-1600x709.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""709"" /> The French mathematician Paul Langevin understood the formidable source of energy that resulted from these ""transmutations."" But it was Jean Perrin a professor of physical chemistry in Paris who first proposed in 1919 that the fusion of hydrogen into helium was the energy source of the Sun and stars accounting for the billions of years of sunshine past and the billions of years to come. During this time radiation studies too were in their infancy. Marie Curie famously decided to do her thesis on radiation recently discovered in uranium by Henri Becquerel. She found that an ore containing uranium was far more radioactive than could be explained by its uranium content. This led her and her husband Pierre to the discovery of a new element that was 400 times more radioactive than uranium. In 1898 it was added to the Periodic Table as polonium named after Curie’s birth country. Then Curie discovered an even more radioactive element radium and through observation of radium made a fundamental discovery: Radiation wasn’t dependent on the organisation of atoms at the molecular level; something was happening inside the atom itself. The atom was not as scientists believed at the time inert indivisible or even solid. This discovery led to an overlapping one: At the time people did not know what powered the Sun. Many however thought it was Radium. Perrin was one of those who believed this. His hypothesis borrowing from E=MC2 was that radiation in the form of Radium was emanating from bodies like earth causing the breakdown of molecules on the Sun and that the breakdown was powering the Sun and other stars. In 1919 Perrin sent to Einstein his new publication proposing this theory. Einstein's response notes the breakdown of molecules and the released energy can likely be accomplished by other means than radiation. He uses the mathematical equation for the breakdown of one molecule into atoms. He references a first order reaction a chemical reaction where the rate of the reaction is directly proportional to the concentration of only one reactant. In simpler terms if you double the concentration of that reactant you double the reaction rate. A common example is radioactive decay. And he gives his best to the Madame Curie. Einstein had last met in Paris with Perrin Pierre Langevin Professor of Experimental Physics at the Collège de France and Curie then Professor of Physics at the Sorbonne on the occasion of Einstein’s lecture to the French Physical Society in late March 1913. They first met at the Solvay Congress in Brussels in autumn 1911. At the same time Einstein who helped so many Jews escape Germany during World War II had a distant cousin the geologist August Moos who had volunteered in the German infantry at the start of the First World War in 1914. After being taken prisoner in 1915 he made several attempts to escape which resulted in a sentence that prevented his release after the armistice of 1918. His mother asked for help from Einstein who turned to his friend Perrin as well as mathematician and statesman Paul Painlevé asking them to intercede. Moos was finally released in February 1920. He would work as an oil geologist in the interwar period before being tragically arrested due to his Jewish heritage under the Nazi regime. Moos would die in the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II. Typed letter signed in French signed “A. Einstein"" November 5 1919 to Professor Jean Baptiste Perrin who would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1926 for his work on the atomic structure of matter. ""Dear Perrin! I received your publications and thank you cordially. Your opinion of the primary importance of radiation for all chemical reactions still seems to me dubious even if it was certain which it is not that reactions of the type J_ - JJ added by hand are of the first order. It would be possible for example that J_ molecules whose internal energy exceeds a certain limit would decompose in accordance with radioactive bodies. ""One more prayer. One of the parents of one of my cousins—a geologist—is a prisoner of war in France. His widowed mother having lost her other son in the war is in the greatest pain for her only son since he had tried to flee several times. She shudders at the thought that the man—through his old efforts to flee in a very difficult situation—might try to flee again and be shot. Wouldn't it be possible to do something for this young scholar"" He goes on to give the address of August Moos held in Charleville Ardennes and concludes by offering his ""many friendships for you Mr. Langevin and Madame Curie."" Below he notes an ink spill draws an arrow and writes ""drop of editorial sweat from editing."" Perrin responded the very same day confirming that he believed rays from Earth were breaking down molecules in the sun and that he assumed the first order nature of the reaction. In other words he did not agree with Einstein that radiation was not breaking down molecules releasing energy and powering the sun. ""I do indeed believe that I2 Einstein used J but Perrin used I decomposes like radioactive bodies and I devoted a chapter of my work to this but precisely on the conviction that radioactive bodies like I2 are decomposed by light for radium ultra-short X rays emanating from the Earth at _ = 10–11 light which suddenly increases the internal energy. I read your letters to Mrs. Curie and to Langevin. They too send you their very best regards."" Perrin and In addition to this important family and political content Einstein comments on a theory that Perrin had developed in which all chemical transformations including radioactive decay are triggered by radiation calling it ""dubious."" Also significant is the date: one day before the official report of Eddington's expedition debuted before the Royal Society of London confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity. Widespread newspaper coverage of the results vaulted Einstein into immediate international fame. An altogether remarkable letter from one Nobel Prize winner to another shown to yet a third and using the chemical equation for the breakdown of molecules into atoms in his own hand. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1932réf. 3054Caputh Germany: np 1932. First edition. Very Good. AN IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC LETTER FROM EINSTEIN TO HIS CLOSEST MATHEMATICAL COLLABORATOR ACCOMPANIED BY A MANUSCRIPT LEAF OF CALCULATIONS IN EINSTEIN'S HAND ON THE SAME LINE OF RESEARCH. Although the original association of the letter and the leaf of calculations cannot be confirmed the two pieces clearly emerge from the same scientific context and have been preserved together. A superb pair from the final months of Einstein's German period. The Letter: In this intense and intellectually urgent letter Einstein writes to Walther Mayer his indispensable mathematical collaborator often referred to as "Einstein's Calculator" describing a newly conceived approach to the technical obstacles in their unified-field theory involving semi-vectors spinors and modified Dirac-type equations. Einstein tells Mayer he believes he "sees a new possibility" one that determines key constants in the system without resorting to the semi-vector construction. He then sketches the structure of the revised scheme points to the condition under which the full set of field equations reduces to a single one and warns that if this same collapse occurs in the general case "the whole thing would be useless." With his imminent departure from Germany he urges Mayer to examine the issue quickly and gives instructions for where a reply will reach him while en route. Dirac and De Broglie - Significance of the Scientific References: Of particular importance is Einstein's explicit engagement in this letter with the work of Paul Dirac and Louis de Broglie two of the central figures in early quantum theory. Einstein refers directly to the Dirac equations introduced only a few years earlier which provided a relativistic formulation of the electron and played a foundational role in quantum mechanics. He also invokes the De Broglie equations for matter waves reflecting his continued effort to reconcile quantum ideas with relativistic field theory. These references place the letter squarely at the intersection of Einstein's unified-field program and the emerging quantum framework he famously regarded with both fascination and skepticism. The letter thus documents Einstein actively testing whether concepts originating in quantum mechanics-Dirac's relativistic wave equation and De Broglie's wave-particle duality-could be absorbed into a geometrically unified classical field theory. Letters in which Einstein explicitly grapples with Dirac and De Broglie at this technical level are rare and represent an important record of his engagement with the central theoretical developments of the early twentieth century. Historical Context: Einstein's collaboration with Walther Mayer beginning around 1930 produced some of the most technically sophisticated papers of Einstein's later career. Together they developed new mathematical structures-semi-vectors spinors and higher-dimensional tangent-space formulations-used in their unified-field attempts. This letter dates from December 1932 only weeks before Einstein left Germany permanently and belongs to the final phase of their joint work published in the Sitzungsberichte of the Prussian Academy. Einstein valued Mayer so highly that he later persuaded the Institute for Advanced Study to create a permanent position for him the only such appointment ever granted for one of Einstein's collaborators. The Manuscript Calculations: Accompanying the letter is a two-page manuscript leaf containing Einstein's working calculations: trial expressions constraint conditions and variant formulations of the same type of semi-vector and spinor problems addressed in the letter. While we cannot confirm that these pages were originally enclosed with the letter they concern the same scientific material and have been preserved alongside it. Einstein manuscript leaves of this depth and technical significance-especially when tied to a known collaborative problem-are scarce. Significance: Whether or not originally sent together the letter and the calculations form a powerful and coherent scientific pair offering a rare view of Einstein actively working through equations testing ideas and relying on Mayer to verify mathematical structure. They capture Einstein at a critical inflection point in both his scientific life and personal circumstances as he prepared to leave Germany forever. --------- The letter from Einstein to Mayer reads in full translated from the original German: Dear Mr. Mayer! I believe I see a new possibility which promises success. It is along the lines of the recently devised way according to which one places zero on the right side of the Dirac-Equations. The novelty is in the fact that the constants a1 . a4 aside from a totally irrelevant factor are completely known without passing on to the specific Semi-Vectors. After omission of the _-terms the equations read Ee st ys = s 1 xe Or for De-Broglie-Equations of the restless particle E4 st ys = s 1a x4 Here is what's new: How does one choose the ay so that the De Broglie - Choices stay largely undetermined Result: The four equations 1a reduce themselves into a single one when and only when if one lets a1 = 1 a2 = 1 a3 = 1 a4 = 1 I believe that with this selection ay is for the equation describing the _-terms 1 the fitting substitute for the DeBroglie-Equation. These equations are already supplied by the simplest Hamilton function. See if the general equations 1 degenerate with this placing for a as well. If this were the case the whole thing would be useless. I leave on Saturday. A letter that is sent to Antwerp to the `Oakland' Hapag Antwerp harbor will reach me until December 13. Cordial greetings from your A. E. Autograph Letter Signed Written in German. One page 8.5 x 11 in.; 216 x 279 mm. probably Caputh near Potsdam Germany the location of Einstein's country home Sunday 4 December 1932. Scattered spotting affecting four words; usual folds. WITH: Two-page leaf of mathematical calculations. Housed together in decorated half-leather box by noted book artist Sjoerd Hofstra. np unknown books
1937réf. 1984Princeton: np 1937. First Edition. Very Good. AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER BY EINSTEIN TO HIS SON OFFERING LIFE ADVICE AND DISCUSSING FREUD SHAKESPEARE AND SCHILLER. Addressed to his son Eduard "Tetel" Einstein and signed "Papa" the letter written in ink on both sides of one sheet reads in full translated from the original German: Dear Tetel I hope by now you've received Freud's lectures from Vienna. I've read most of them myself in the past. They really made me admire the Author but they didn't convince me that his theories were correct. I must admit however that based on my personal experiences my conviction about those theories is weakening -- I feel now that he was onto something at least in regards to the main theses. I would have written to you sooner but work is keeping me very busy. Even though they say that the work of a single person will not have much of an impact in the big picture it does not diminish the passion in which we pursue our interests and that is a good thing. Although personal illusions may bring warmth and joy into one's life when young they don't last a lifetime. Life would be bleak if the work and the passion for discovery did not exist. In my free time I am currently reading Schiller's poems which I have neglected since my youth. They feel a bit pompous but at the same time they are enthralling in their choice of words and grammar. I am really happy that I picked them up again. I would have liked to send you another book on the top of the Freud but didn't know which one to send -- especially because I don't get a lot of German writings anymore. When I have some extra free time after finishing Schiller I really want to start reading Shakespeare everything from him I can get my hands on. If you like to read it too perhaps we could discuss it at some later time Albert is a real delight -- he has been traveling up and down the country for the past 6 weeks and will have seen and experienced many interesting things. I really hope he has followed my advice and kept a journal but I am not holding high hopes. When it comes to talking and writing he seems to be chronically constipated. With my warmest regards Papa Einstein's life advice underscoring one of his core beliefs: Einstein often stated that his main goal in life was the quest for truth no matter how difficult and painstaking the quest. He advises Eduard in this letter that it is the pursuit and the work in attaining the goal that brings satisfaction and sustains one throughout life even if "the work of a single person will not have much of an impact in the big picture". This he notes is critical to understand after the illusions of youth have succumbed to reality. Einstein Eduard and Freud: Eduard Einstein nicknamed "Tete" or "Tetel" born in 1910 was the second son of Albert and his first wife Mileva. From an early age he became enamored with the teachings of Freud even hanging a picture of famous psychiatrist on his bedroom wall. By the age of twenty he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and consequently was institutionalized several times throughout his life. Einstein's views of Freud's teachings were somewhat more nuanced than those of his son. Initially Einstein did not show much interest in Freud's theories and after their first meeting in 1927 Freud famously remarked "He understands as much about psychology as I do about physics." Over the years however Einstein began studying Freud's works. After corresponding with Freud somewhat regularly throughout the 1930s and even collaborating with him on a project sponsored by the League of Nations "Why War" 1932 Einstein began to move from a deep skepticism to - as indicated in this letter - a growing acceptance. By 1936 - just before this letter was written - Einstein sent birthday greetings to Freud acknowledging: "Until recently I could only apprehend the speculative power of your train of thought together with its enormous influence on the Weltanschauung of the present era without being in a position to form a definite opinion about the amount of truth it contains. Not long ago however I had the opportunity of hearing about a few instances not very important in themselves which in my judgment exclude any other interpretation than that provided by the theory of repression. I was delighted to come across them since it is always delightful when a great and beautiful conception proves to be consonant with reality." In this letter to Eduard Einstein admits to Eduard that he now believes Freud "was onto something at least in regards to the main theses." Einstein Shakespeare Schiller: Einstein's fondness for music is well-known but not as much has been recorded about his literary tastes. It is not surprising and has been previously documented that Einstein had a fondness for the great German poet Schiller but we can find no other references to Shakespeare by Einstein in any other letters or manuscripts. His words to Eduard "I really want to start reading Shakespeare everything from him I can get my hands on" imply that Einstein has recently "discovered" Shakespeare and is excited at the discovery. Note: Although the letter is not dated we can assume that it was written late November - December in 1937 when Einstein's son Albert was visiting the United States a trip he refers to in the letter. Princeton: November - December 1937. One 8.5x11 inch leaf written on both sides. In German. Usual folds otherwise fine. A LONG REMARKABLE AND REVEALING LETTER UNITING THE INTELLECTUAL GIANTS EINSTEIN FREUD AND SHAKESPEARE AND SHARING ONE OF HIS CORE BELIEFS WITH HIS SON. np unknown books
1930réf. 2349np: np 1930. First edition. Fine. EINSTEIN ON THE CONCEPT OF PEACE: A POWERFUL AUTOGRAPH STATEMENT IN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE FORMAT. Translated from the original German: "No person has the moral right to call himself a Christian or Jew so long as he is prepared to engage in systematic murder at the command of an authority or allow himself to be used in any way in the service of war or the preparation for it." Beginning in 1925 the World League for Peace Ligue mondiale pour la paix under the direction of its president Georges Dejean solicited statements on peace from prominent scientists writers artists political leaders and other public figures throughout the world sending them large 11.5x16.5 inch sheets for their submissions. The resulting collection of more than 1000 original manuscripts was assembled between 1925 and 1932. A selection was reproduced in facsimile in the limited-edition volume Pax Mundi: Livre d'or de la paix published in Geneva by Paxunis in 1932. This is Einstein's original manuscript contribution to the project. A highly unusual format with exceptionally large Einstein signature 2.25 in / 6 cm of an important Einstein statement consistent with his life-long dedication to pacifism. c.1925-1930. One large folio page 11.5 x 16.5 inches. In German. Fine condition. np unknown books
1905réf. 2895Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1905. First edition. original wrappers. Very Good. FIRST PRINTINGS WITH EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL WRAPPERS of Einstein's revolutionary papers of 1905 including the first edition of the initial paper on special relativity; three of the most important papers in the history of science. Beautiful clean copies without any institutional stamps. In the first paper "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" published in March "Einstein postulated that light is composed of individual quanta later called photons that in addition to wavelike behaviour demonstrate certain properties unique to particles. In a single stroke he thus revolutionized the theory of light and provided an explanation for among other phenomena the emission of electrons from some solids when struck by light called the photoelectric effect" Britannica. It was for this paper on the photoelectric effect that Einstein was granted the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. The next paper "On the Motion-Required by the Molecular Kinetic Theory of Heat-of Small Particles Suspended in a Stationary Liquid" published in May provided a theoretical explanation of Brownian motion. It is generally regarded as the first proof that molecules exist. Although the first two papers were of astonishing originality and importance it was the third paper introducing what would be later known as Einstein's special theory of relativity that would make him famous. "Toward the end of June it was all written up and on June 30 receipt of the manuscript was recorded at the editorial office of Annalen in Berlin. The thirty-page article published three months later was titled 'On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies'. It was a treatise beyond compare and without precedent one of the greatest scientific achievements in content and one of the most brilliant in style. Of course there were later additions some from Einstein himself and some from others but these were mere addenda to a theory which had appeared before all the world ready and complete valid for all time" Folsing Albert Einstein. Einstein's theory with the premise that "if for all frames of reference the speed of light is constant and if all natural laws are the same then both time and motion are found to be relative to the observer" "involved a complete rethinking of the entire conceptual tradition of modern physics from its beginning" Britannica; Folsing. Weil 6. Weil 8. Weil 9. Grolier/Horblit 26b. Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Korper in Annalen der Physik Vierte Folge Volume 17 part 10 pp. 891-921; WITH: Über einen die Erzeugung und Verwandlung des Lichtes betreffenden heuristischen Gesichtspunkt ibid part 6 pp. 132-148. WITH: Über die von der molekularkinetischen Theorie der Warme geforderte Bewegung von in ruhenden Flussigkeiten suspendierten Teilchen ibid part 8 pp. 549-560. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1905. Octavo three issues in original wrappers rebacked; three custom boxes. Note: The issues are slightly trimmed indicating that it is likely they were originally bound with the wrappers and then re-assembled. With general title page volume half-title and index included in part 6. Some chipping to exceedingly rare and brittle original wrappers; otherwise fine. Extremely rare in such outstanding condition. Johann Ambrosius Barth books
1933réf. 13747Los Angeles 1933. Signed by the photographer Aaron Tycko of Los Angeles. Prominently signed “Albert Einstein. 1933” below image. Rarely seen photograph of the famous scientist taken during his last visit to Southern California in January 1933 the month Hitler took power in his native Germany. During the five-month trip Einstein 1879-1955 spent most of his time at the Mount Wilson Observatory and the California Institute of Technology where he was offered a position. Later that year he renounced his German citizenship and accepted a professorship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton New Jersey. Tycko 1893-1975 was based in Los Angeles and often photographed Einstein along with other Hollywood icons of the early twentieth century including Irving Berlin. At the time this photograph was taken Tycko also shot a well-known photograph of Einstein with his wife Elsa. Interestingly Tycko is mention in Einstein’s FBI files because a Hollywood informant reported that the photographer believed Einstein was a communist. This informant contended that Tycko thought Einstein was “the brain that was setting up Hollywood in the 1930’s for the big Communist push . . . He was one of the most dangerous and powerful figures in what has become the Communist movement.” Jerome The Einstein File: J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret War Against the World’s Most Famous Scientist. unknown books
1954réf. 195551954. in German black ink. Signed “A. Einstein”. A poem written by Einstein to his colleague and collaborator Ernst Straus and his son Daniel. “Dear Strausse both! My best wishes and greetings in poetic form. It brings even more happiness If it has been anticipated for so long also in one’s circle of friends the event is doubly appreciated. This is what I wish: Let Daniel be like his father thoroughly intelligent and not less joyous so few humans are like that. Many - alas - are born few are chosen to bring light and joy. Let such gift be his drive. Yours A. Einstein” In German “Strauss” means bunch bouquet etc. or ostrich and “Strausse” is plural. Ernst G. Straus 1922-1983 was a mathematician who helped found the theories of Euclidean Ramsey theory and of the arithmetic properties of analytic functions. He was Einstein’s assistant and collaborator both at Princeton and afterwards when he moved to become a professor of mathematics at UCLA. His son Daniel is a professor of chemistry at Cal State San Jose. unknown books
1949réf. 343971949. On scientists and military work: “The majority of really good scientists in this country have withdrawn from military work…The young ones who cannot lean upon a standing of their own have generally given in to the almost irresistible pressure. One cannot expect it to be any different."" Einstein and other scientists faced the harsh reality of the product of their work after the war and the bombing of Japan; Here Einstein in a way grapples with his own role On the timeless nature of fighting for what you believe: “The truth appears foolish to the insane.Lost people are content to find themselves in agreement with the masses."" <img class=""alignnone wp-image-34606 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20251001204256/Einstein_Letter_11-1-1600x897.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""897"" /> Although Albert Einstein’s participation in the production of the atomic bomb was limited the public perceived his role as crucial and he was in fact the face of the project to many. The reasons were that although he did not work on the Manhattan Project the US effort to build the bomb his famous equation E=mc2 provided the theoretical basis for understanding the immense energy released in nuclear fission which is the process that powers the bomb. And his 1939 letter to President Roosevelt co-signed by Leo Szilárd alerted the US government to the potential of nuclear weapons and prompted the start of research that eventually led to the Manhattan Project. Feeding the public perceptions of his responsibility were publications like The Smyth Report a history of the development of the bomb published the day after the bombing of Nagasaki which ascribed great historical weight to Einstein’s 1939 letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in catalyzing the development of the bomb. In 1946 Time magazine published the famous cover featuring Einstein’s portrait backgrounded by an enormous mushroom cloud emblazoned with “E=mc2” and the accompanying article by Whittaker Chambers referred to him as “the father of the bomb” a title which resonated in the popular imagination. A March 1947 Newsweek cover featured Einstein above the headline “Godfather of the Atomic Bomb”. Einstein was hounded by the association throughout the rest of his life culminating in his November 1954 admission to Linus Pauling “I made one great mistake in my life when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made….” Albert Einstein was known for his dedication to morality which he said was “of the highest importance” as well as beliefs that stemmed from morality like pacifism anti-militarism and loyalty to the facts taught by science. He viewed morality as fundamentally human and believed that ethical behavior should form a basis for both individual well-being and the collective good of humanity. Thus for Einstein the pursuit of morality was the most vital human endeavor essential for bringing beauty and dignity to life and ensuring the survival and thriving of the human race. He shared these beliefs with Dr. Herbert Jehle. Dr. Jehle was a pioneering theoretical physicist whose work spanned quantum field theory biophysics and astrophysics. He was a student and friend of Einstein in the 1920s in Germany; and a disciple and friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. At Princeton in 1947 he provided Richard Feynman with the spark which would lead to his path integral formulation. Einstein had left for the United States in 1933 the same year that Jehle received his doctorate from the Technische Hochschule Berlin. In the same year Dietrich Bonhoeffer Jehle's friend and mentor stepped down from his professorship at Berlin in protest of the Nazi ascent to power. In 1940 Jehle refused to assist in the German armament and atomic project and was interned in concentration camps. Escaping in 1941 with the help of Quaker and Christian relief organizations Jehle made his way to the United States where he took a position at Harvard University until leaving for Princeton in 1947. At Princeton Jehle's pacifist beliefs coincided with Einstein's own and they reconnected bonding over shared views of social responsibility and ethics in science and playing music together regularly Einstein on violin Jehle on the piano. Jehle was also the editor of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science newsletter of which Einstein was a member. Jehle additionally submitted articles to other science publications. During the 1950s Jehle collaborated with Linus Pauling on DNA research as well as advocating with Pauling for peace. In the early 1960s Jehle worked as a consultant to Marshall Nirenberg at the NIH on DNA-coding for which Nirenberg also won a Nobel Prize for in 1968. Jehle's 1949 article ""For a Universal Morality"" asserted that ""participation in war preparations posed a challenge to man's conscience under any circumstances. and urged that scientists refuse to participate in war work under any government democratic or totalitarian"" see Nathan & Norden Einstein on Peace p 514. The editor of the Bulletin Eugene Rabinowitch rejected the article in a letter to Einstein to which Einstein replied advocating Jehle's position praising Jehle for not being “deterred by taboos” and then sent this letter to Jehle. It is interesting to think how time and war had affected Einstein's thinking. Where his letter did much to advance the nuclear militarization and as a scientist he felt a need to intervene here is advocating the opposite. Autograph letter signed on paper watermarked ""Whiting Mutual Bond Rag Content""Princeton 1949 to Herbert Jehle endorsing the article by Jehle that had been submitted to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists on the topics of science and morality and cautioning Jehle on the complications of his position in the post-war world. “I have read your article several times and find that it agrees exactly with my thinking. In accordance with your wishes I am sending your paper with my recommendation to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists in the hope that they will publish it. “I doubt however that the effect will correspond with the good intentions of the article. The truth appears foolish to the insane. He suspects disloyal intent and revolts against the thought that the 'foreigner' considers himself a better judge of what Americans should do. There are after all few who think and feel in a supra-national manner. Lost people are content to find themselves in agreement with the masses. “The majority of really good scientists in this country have withdrawn from military work more so than it was ever the case in Germany. The young ones who cannot lean upon a standing of their own have generally given in to the almost irresistible pressure. One cannot expect it to be any different since few are born to be martyrs - if no mass movement drives them in that direction. I see the real justification of your approach in the attempt to help generate such a mass movement. “The predicament in which we are is in a certain sense timeless. The public institutions necessarily represent a rather low moral level as do the men who stand behind these institutions. The individual is at the mercy of these institutions the standards of which he must recognize to be low if he is conscientious and not completely without ideas. He is thus forced into some compromise since he sees that that kind of necessarily imperfect institution cannot be dispensed with. “If those who see the light do not stand honestly and courageously for the good the world will get deeper and deeper into the morass. In expressing my joy that you have acted in this way and continue to do so I remain with friendly greetings. Yours A. Einstein.” With: Autograph statement as a PS from Einstein in German with Jehle's autograph English translation beneath and annotations above transcribing his recommendation for Jehle which Einstein sent to the editor of the Bulletin. “I am sending you this book article. It comes from a younger physicist who is courageous enough to simply say what is evident without being deterred by taboos. I hope that his note can be published in the Bulletin.” An important letter reflecting Einstein's post-war advocacy for morality and peace and assessments of the place of scientists in the moral sphere as well as realistic observations on and understanding of world politics. We obtained this letter directly from the Jehle family. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1980réf. 2611New York: np 1980. First edition. Clamshell box. Fine. EXTREMELY RARE COMPLETE SUITE OF SEVEN LARGE SILVER PRINTS FROM EINSTEIN'S FAMOUS PHOTO SHOOT AT PRINCETON WITH ROMAN VISHNIAC. Each print is signed by Vishniac and dated "At Princeton 1942" in his hand below the image and numbered on the back. "One day Vishniac decided to visit Albert Einstein at Princeton to offer greetings from mutual friends in Berlin. Uninvited he hoped Einstein would pose for a portrait but Einstein had little interest. Vishniac recalled: It was a singular experience. An idea had suddenly come to him and the room was filled with the movement of the great man's thought. I waited several minutes and then when I saw that he did not intend to say anything more to me and that he was off in a world of his own I started taking pictures. Einstein later admitted that a Vishniac photograph taken that day was his favorite portrait" Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography. Vishniac provided details about this portolfio in a letter to an original recipient the letter is not included here explaining: The size of the edition's limitation is uncertain due to my age and only spare time to make them. The most expensive portfolios - Ansel Adams Kertesz - are limited in large numbers I can never measure up - 999 1001 and similar. The originality of Portfolio "Einstein" consists of its special character. It is made not to get images but the feeling that you are present during the creativity by the Great Man. All pictures are made with "hidden camera" method. The value of this portfolio is great and can hardly be estimated today. Princeton/New York: 1942 negatives; 1980 silver prints. Elephant folio clamshell box approx. 17x21 in. housing seven silver prints. Image size: approx. 10.25 x 13.25 in.; with matte 16x20 in. A few minor blemishes to box. Photos in fine condition. RARE. np unknown books
1943réf. 3079Princeton NJ: np 1943. first. Very Good. AN EXTRAORDINARY SIGNED 1943 STATEMENT DEFINING EINSTEIN'S CONCEPTION OF JUDAISM THROUGH REASON AND SPINOZA WHILE WARNING AGAINST "CLERICAL DOMINATION" IN A FUTURE JEWISH HOMELAND. Of course we all know Einstein as the great scientist. From the theoretical physicists among us to those of use who barely survived high school physics we are all captivated by the man and accept his place at the outer limits of human intellectual capacity. Yet it's when Einstein leaves the world of relativity and theoretical physics that we are often most drawn to his never-ending charisma. Especially exciting to so many of us are his deep convictions about human affairs especially politics and religion. Einstein famously was irreligiously religious. Born to a secular Jewish family his upbringing lacked the complex ritual we associate with Orthodox Judaism. He briefly became curious about religiosity as a child but his attempts at following religious ritual and doctrine ended a few years later as he confronted the conflict between scientific ideas and Biblical stories. Yet one still sees a deep spirituality in Einstein who saw a special camaraderie in the 17th-century Dutch Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Spinoza was a Jewish radical who had little patience for endless ritual. He did not see God as a being intervening in human affairs but as a great rational force who formed the universe using rational methods. We become close to God therefore by trying to understand the natural world not obeying endless rituals. One can easily see Spinoza's approach as appealing to Einstein. In Spinoza's view the scientist is the holyman his work bringing him closer to God's creations. While in 1943 many of Einstein's contemporaries could accept such a view in seventeenth-century Amsterdam it was another matter: Spinoza was formally expelled from his Jewish community. Shikmoni's Pamphlet & Einstein's Views Humanistisches Judentum Humanistic Judaism was not a conventional commercial publication. It was issued privately in Haifa in 1948 "on behalf of a Circle of Friends" with Einstein's contribution prominently advertised on the title page as a "Geleitwort von Prof. Albert Einstein." Shikmoni's short pamphlet aligns closely with Einstein's view of religion. Its central proposition is quite radical: a genuinely renewed Jewish culture must recover what Shikmoni regards as Judaism's original combination of humanism and a rational worldview. He traces that tradition through Moses and the Prophets incorporates Jesus "the Nazarene" and sees it culminating in Spinoza. For Shikmoni as for Einstein Spinoza offered a way of reconciling Jewish intellectual identity with reason and freedom from religious orthodoxy. Shikmoni's devotion to Spinoza extended beyond this pamphlet. In 1950 he founded the Spinoza House Bet Shpinozah or Spinozaeum in Haifa a center devoted to promoting Spinoza's philosophy in the newly established State of Israel. The organization attracted prominent supporters including David Ben-Gurion and Albert Einstein. The Document The typescript we have here was written by Einstein on his Princeton letterhead in November 1943 in response to Shikmoni's pamphet and would eventually be published as Einstein's foreword to the pamphlet. The pamphlet would not appear until 1948 five years after Einstein wrote these words. It is not difficult to understand why Shikmoni's manuscript made such an impression on Einstein. He recognized in it many of his own ideas about Judaism religion and Spinoza. Indeed in the typescript Einstein begins by admitting that Shikmoni had articulated something that he himself had long felt but had struggled to define: "This little work has made a deep impression on me. It expresses in a clear manner the meaning of Judaism as it had always hovered indistinctly before me." What follows is almost a miniature statement of Einstein's own religious philosophy: "liberation from petrified ritual; adherence to the social ideal formulated so early; struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form; striving toward Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis." Like Spinoza Einstein's Judaism is not defined principally by ritual observance but by ethics reason intellectual freedom and the pursuit of understanding. But Einstein then moves from religion to politics. The typescript is dated November 1943 five years before the establishment of Israel. We see Einstein already contemplating the character of a future Jewish homeland and warning against allowing religious authority to dominate it: "May a favorable fate preserve us from failing to recognize the danger and for a second time in our history falling in our own homeland under clerical domination which over the course of history has alienated several of our finest people from the community." The warning brings us directly back to Spinoza. Einstein had just invoked a Jewish thinker who had himself been expelled from his religious community for his unorthodox ideas; in the very next paragraph he warns of religious authority once again alienating "several of our finest people" from the Jewish community. There is another important feature of the present typescript. When Einstein's statement was finally published as the foreword to Shikmoni's pamphlet in 1948 one of its most forceful phrases had disappeared. Einstein's original reads: "Kampf gegen den Ungeist in jeder Form" "struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form". The entire phrase is omitted from the published version. The present signed typescript therefore preserves a substantive passage from Einstein's original statement that did not survive into its eventual publication. Full German Transcription Diese kleine Schrift hat tiefen Eindruck auf mich gemacht. Sie spricht den Sinn des Judentums wie er mir immer dunkel undeutlich vorschwebte in einer klaren Weise aus. Loslösung vom versteinerten Ritual Festhalten an dem so früh formulierten sozialen Ideal Kampf gegen den Ungeist in jeder Form Streben nach Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis in welchem das soziale und weltanschauliche Ideal des Judentums vereinigt sind. Möge uns ein gutes Schicksal davor bewahren dass wir durch Verkennung der Gefahr zum zweiten Male in unserer Geschichte in unserem eigenen Heim priesterlicher Bevormundung anheimfallen die im Laufe der Geschichte mehrere unserer Besten der Gemeinschaft entfremdet hat. Möge wer anders denkt und fühlt die Kraft aufbringen die hier berührten Fragen vorurteilslos zu erwägen bevor er urteilt. Princeton N.J. November 1943 A. Einstein English Translation This little work has made a deep impression on me. It expresses in a clear manner the meaning of Judaism as it had always hovered indistinctly before me: liberation from petrified ritual; adherence to the social ideal formulated so early; struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form; striving toward Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis in which the social and philosophical ideals of Judaism are united. May a favorable fate preserve us from failing to recognize the danger and for a second time in our history falling in our own homeland under clerical domination which over the course of history has alienated several of our finest people from the community. May those who think and feel differently summon the strength to consider without prejudice the questions touched upon here before passing judgment. Princeton N.J. November 1943 A. Einstein In a single page later published in an obscure German pamphlet Einstein brings together some of the convictions that defined his life beyond physics: his Jewish identity his reverence for Spinoza his distrust of religious orthodoxy and his belief that reason humanism and intellectual freedom should prevail over dogma. Typescript on Einstein's Princeton letterhead with his embossed Mercer Street address at top; signed by Einstein "A. Einstein." at bottom right. Princeton New Jersey November 1943. One page approx. 8.5 x 11 in; rust mark from paper clip at top left; scattered foxing; two binder punch holes at right margin. A RARE CLEAR EXPLANATION OF EINSTEIN'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO JUDAISM. np unknown books
1942réf. 1265881942. Signed. EINSTEIN Albert. Typed letter signed. Princeton November 3 1942. One sheet measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches typing on recto only; matted and framed with a portrait of Einstein entire piece measures 21 by 17 inches. $38000.An exceptional typed letter signed by Einstein on precursors like Johannes Kepler's work to his Special and General Theories of Relativity beautifully framed.The letter on letterhead from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton reads in full: ""November 3 1942. Mr. Felix W. Cartier. Laconite Minn. Dear Sir: Since the times of Kepler one has found approximation formulaes for the mean distances of the planets from the sun. It is sure that there are not precise laws behind those approximate relations. It may be possible to understand the irregularities of this kind with the methods of statistical mechanics. But hitherto nobody seems to have been able to do so. In any case there is no analogy between such regularities and the quantum laws in molecular physics. Very truly yours signed A. Einstein. Prof. Albert Einstein.""Early in the 17th century Johannes Kepler 1571-1630 discovered that planets orbit the sun in ellipses rather than perfect circles. This great discovery paved the way for Isaac Newton's laws of gravity and for Albert Einstein's general and special theories of relativity. Previous to Einstein's time people believed in real distances and absolute time and showed that instruments could not objectively measure the distances between planets. Einstein's theories which hypothesized that light and space curve near a massive object revolutionized scientific thought and gave man an exciting new perspective of his universe.Einstein's letter reflects on some of the most important scientific revelations in the history of physics and astronomy. Kepler defined three laws of planetary motion; however the one specifically referred to in this letter is that all planets move about the Sun in elliptical orbits having the Sun as one of the foci. If the Universe then consisted only of two point massesÑthe Sun and a planetÑthe orbit of that planet would make a perfect closed ellipse that returned the world to its starting location with each trip around the Sun. But in a Universe governed by Newtonian gravity with a plethora of massive bodies in our Solar System that ellipse will precess or rotate slightly in its orbit.In the mid-1800s orbital deviations of Uranus from its predicted motions led to the discovery of Neptune as the outermost world's gravitational influence accounted for the excess motion. But in the inner Solar System the nearest planet to the Sun Mercury was experiencing a similar problem. With detailed accurate observations going back to the late 1500s thanks to astronomer Tycho Brahe we could measure how Mercury's perihelion its closest orbital point to the Sun was advancing. The number we came up with was 5600"" per century just over 1.5 degrees over a 100 year period. But of that 5025"" came from the precession of Earth's equinoxes a well-known phenomenon while 532"" was due to Newtonian gravity.But 5025"" plus 532"" comes up short by a small but significant amount. Attempts at explanationÑincluding the existence of an unknown inner planet interior to MercuryÑall failed. But after Einstein's special theory of relativity came out in 1905 mathematician Henri Poincare showed that the phenomena of length contraction and time dilation contributed a fraction between 15-25% of the needed amount towards the solution dependent on the error. That plus Minkowski's formalization of space and time as not separate entities but as a single structure bound together by their union spacetime led Einstein to develop the general theory of relativity. On November 25 1915 he presented his results computing the spectacular figure that the contribution of the extra curvature of space predicted an additional precession of 43"" per century exactly the right figure needed to explain this observation sending shockwaves through the astronomy and physics communities. Less than two months after this Karl Schwarzschild found an exact solution predicting the existence of black holes. The deflection of starlight and gravitational redshifts/blueshifts were realized as possible tests and finally the solar eclipse of 1919 validated general relativity as superseding Newtonian gravity. Expected fold lines. An incredible letter scarce in its important content. unknown books
1921réf. 1206201921. Signed. EINSTEIN Albert. Autograph letter signed. No place August 14 1921. Single sheet of cream lined paper measuring 7-1/2 by 11 inches; p. 1. $35000.Rare heartfelt autograph letter of recommendation written and signed by Einstein in German enthusiastically recommending his friend and colleague physicist Prof. Dr. Paul Epstein for an academic position.The autograph letter dated ""14 VIII 21"" written entirely in Einstein's hand reads translated from the original German: ""Prof. Dr. Epstein is certainly one of the most prominent living theoretical physicists of the German-speaking world. Without a doubt he would have been appointed to a German professorship a long time ago had his Russian nationality not stood in the way. Among Epstein's numerous original scientific papers two findings which advanced the modern quantum theory in crucial ways should be noted. After Mr. Sommerfeld as the first physicist who on the basis of special hypotheses had applied the quantum theory to a certain mechanical system of more than one degree of freedom Mr. Epstein discovered an important generalization of the quantum principle which established the application of the quantum theory for all quasi-periodic mechanical systems. Based on that general application of the quantum principle he then provided an analysis of the splitting of spectral lines in the electrical field Stark effect the accordance of which with the experiment provides one of the strongest supports for the Rutherford-Bohr atomic theory. I would like to add that I have also come to appreciate Mr. Epstein in personal interactions as a human being and that I had the pleasure of attending several scientific lectures given by him which enabled me to convince myself of his competence in delivering clearly understandable oral exposition. / A. Einstein.""Einstein and Epstein were friends and longtime correspondents who shared an interest in physics Judaism and the founding of Israel. Paul Epstein was a Russian-American mathematical physicist. He remains best known for his contributions to the development of quantum mechanics. Indeed he was one of a select group that included Lorentz Einstein Minkowski Thomson Rutherford Sommerfeld Rntgen von Laue Bohr de Broglie Ehrenfest and Schwarzschild. Born in Warsaw then part of Imperial Russia Epstein was brought up solidly middle class. He later stated that his mother recognized his potential at the age of four and predicted his future as a mathematician. Epstein studied mathematics and physics for his entire university career eventually earning a degree from the Imperial University of Moscow. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. at the Technical University of Munich in 1914 concentrating on a problem in the theory of diffraction of electromagnetic waves. However the outbreak of World War I rendered Epstein an enemy alien in Germany. Sommerfeld intervened on his behalf and he was allowed to stay as a private citizen and continue his research. In 1916 Epstein published an important paper explaining the Stark Effect using the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantum theory. After the war Epstein went to Leiden and worked as an assistant for Lorentz and Ehrenfest. In 1921Ñthe year this letter was writtenÑEpstein was recruited by Robert Millikan to join the physicists at the California Institute of Technology. Epstein accepted the position and stayed there for the rest of his career publishing extensively on quantum theory. Epstein was something of polymath and worked in numerous areas outside of quantum theory including work on air resistance the settling of gasses the theory of vibration and the absorption of sound. He was an avid supported of Freudian psychoanalysis including as one of the founding members of the Psychoanalytic Study Group that later merged with the Los Angeles Institute for Psychoanalysis. Epstein was also notably anti-communist and worried about the threat of nationalism.The areas of study mentioned in Einstein's letter of recommendation all came together to help form the science behind atomic and hydrogen bombs though neither Einstein nor Epstein anticipated quite where the science was headed in 1921. The letter mentions the Stark effect which is the shifting and splitting of spectral lines of atoms and molecules due to the presence of an external electric field. It is analogous to the Zeeman effect in which a magnetic field is the influence. The Rutherford-Bohr model presented in 1913 is a system consisting of a small dense nucleus surrounded by orbiting electronsÑsomewhat like the Solar System but with electrostatic forces instead of gravity. The Bohr model came to be recognized as a relatively primitive model of the hydrogen atom compared to the valence shell atom model. However because of its simplicity and the correct results it generates for certain systems it is still commonly used to introduce students to quantum mechanics.Overall this letter provides valuable insight into the scientific world during the height of Einstein's international career right when he first began traveling abroad and meeting fellow scientists internationally. The letter reflects Einstein's importance in the community and is a testament to Epstein's ability as a physicist. Original mailing creases. Fine condition. unknown books
1953réf. 2270Princeton NJ: np 1953. First edition. custom folder. Very Good. TOWARDS THE END OF HIS LIFE EINSTEIN WRITES TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS FROM THE PATENT OFFICE CONCERNING ONE OF THE CENTRAL STRUGGLES OF HIS SCIENTIFIC LIFE. COMMENTING ON THE WORK OF DIRAC EINSTEIN ADMITS THAT ALTHOUGH HE "CAN'T TAKE A STATISTICAL FOUNDATION OF PHYSICS SERIOUSLY" HE FINDS IT "DIFFICULT TO MOVE BEYOND IT". Background: Einstein's struggle with accepting a strictly statistical quantum theory has been one of the most discussed and debated topics of twentieth-century physics. When introduced to the statistically-based quantum mechanics of Heisenberg Born and Jordan in 1926 Einstein famously wrote to Max Born that "Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the 'old one.' I at any rare am convinced that He is not playing at dice." Einstein letter to Born from 4 December 1926. From the onset "Einstein regarded the quantum theory as descriptively incomplete. What he meant was that in typical cases the probabilistic assertions provided by the theory for an individual quantum system do not exhaust all the relevant and true physical assertions about the system. Put briefly according to Einstein the typical statistical story told by quantum theory is not the whole story." Arthur Fine "What is Einstein's Statistical Interpretation or Is It Einstein for Whom Bell's Theorem Tolls". Einstein's discomfort with the new theory haunted him for the next three decades and his challenges to the theory were the cause of some of the most fertile and defining moments of modern science notably the celebrated "Bohr-Einstein debates" begun at the Fifth Solvay Conference 1927 and his monumentally influential "EPR" paper of 1935 "Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete" written with Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen. As late as 1949 in his "Reply to Criticisms" published in Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist Einstein notes that Born and Wolfgang Pauli in their contributions to the volume "deprecate the fact that I reject the basic idea of contemporary statistical quantum theory insofar as I do not believe that this fundamental concept will provide a useful basis for the whole of physics" and spends the majority of the essay explaining his position and distinguishing between his acceptance of the model for "ensembles of systems" while still rejecting it for an "individual physical system". The letter: Dated September 12 1953 and written to his old colleague at the patent office in Bern Joseph Sauter the letter translated from the original German reads in full: Dear Mr. Sauter If I am able to I will gladly assist Mr. Keberle. I have heard of you often from my old friend Besso and I have also received a manuscript which deals critically with handwritten Dirac's presentation of the statistical approach to quantum theory. I have not been able to judge it myself because it is simply impossible for me to take a statistical foundation of physics seriously. But I have to admit that it is difficult to move beyond it. Yours sincerely signed A. Einstein. Albert Einstein. The recipient Joseph Sauter worked with Einstein at the Bern Patent office during the years he was developing the ideas for his revolutionary papers of 1905. "Among his colleagues at the Patent Office Einstein discovered one with similar scientific interests-Dr. Josef Sauter a French-Swiss who had also studied at the Polytechnic and who had been Professor Weber's chief assistant for a while. Sauter like Einstein tried to fill the gaps in the Polytechnic's syllabus by private study so that Einstein was able to discuss with him Maxwell's thermodynamics and Helmholtz's and Hertz's theoretical concepts. The two also discussed Einstein's publications on thermodynamics with the result that Sauter discovered a mistake in them which Einstein accepted 'without being the least upset.' Fifty years later Einstein recalled 'that I had a lot of discussions with Sauter about. my thermal-statistical papers'. At least as important as his help with the 'rewriting and amending' were Sauter's connections with scientific circles in Bern to which he soon introduced his new colleague." Albrecht Fölsing Albert Einstein. Edouard Keberle mentioned in the first line by Einstein was a Bulgarian physicist who at the time of the letter had just left the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Bern over a publication dispute. Not long after this letter - in early 1954 - Keberle accepted a post at the Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City. It is unclear if Einstein helped him in any way to get this position. Michele Besso - also mentioned in this letter - was Einstein's close lifelong friend. What prompts Einstein to declare that "it is simply impossible for me to take a statistical foundation of physics seriously" is the mention of a manuscript on the work of Paul Dirac. Philosophically Dirac was almost the opposite of Einstein - he had no interest in probing the interpretations of quantum theory wryly noting in his paper "The Inadequacies of Quantum Field Theory" that "The interpretation of quantum mechanics has been dealt with by many authors and I do not want to discuss it here. I want to deal with more fundamental things." It is revealing in this letter that although Einstein re-states his objection to a statistical basis of quantum theory he has doubts about his position admitting - less than two years before his death - that he still has difficulty moving beyond it. Typed Letter Signed. Princeton NJ: September 12 1953. One 8.5x11 inch sheet with Einstein's embossed Mercer Street address at top. Custom silk presentation folder. With original mailing envelope with postmarks. A few small smudges usual folds; fine condition. ONE OF EINSTEIN'S FINAL STATEMENTS ON ONE OF THE CENTRAL TENETS OF HIS SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHY. np unknown books
1935réf. 1383623/05/1935. He prophesizes however that the road ahead for the Jews will be “arduous and very painful” The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton New Jersey was founded in 1930 by educator Abraham Flexner with funding from department store magnate Louis Bamberger. Flexner first recruited noted mathematicians from Princeton University to join the Institute then broadened its scope by including established scholars in economics politics and humanistic studies. In 1932 Flexner offered Einstein a faculty position at the Institute. Einstein’s decision was effected by historical events as in January 1933 Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Soon after Einstein made the decision to resign from his Berlin position give up his German citizenship and accept the position in Princeton. The ocean liner Westmoreland which carried Einstein at age 54 to what would become his new home country arrived in New York Harbor on October 17 1933. <img class=""alignnone size-full wp-image-24695"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204145639/einsteinsig.gif"" alt="""" width=""1920"" height=""1080"" /> Einstein found the Institute and life in the United States congenial so in April 1934 just six months after his arrival Einstein announced that he was staying in Princeton indefinitely and assuming a permanent full-time status at the Institute. He would remain in the United States the rest of his life. Meanwhile he was very much a celebrity and was invited to the White House to meet with the Roosevelts. He politely declined saying he did not want to call attention to himself a position that German Jews had become accustomed to adopting during the rise of Naziism. However the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt intervened writing Einstein directly requesting his presence. So Einstein and his wife Elsa arrived at the White House on January 24 1934 had dinner and spent the night. President Roosevelt was able to converse with them in passable German. Among other things they discussed Roosevelt’s marine prints and Einstein’s love for sailing. On learning that the Einsteins had decided to stay in the United States Roosevelt suggested that the Einsteins should accept the offer of some Congressmen to have a special bill passed on their behalf that he would sign granting them citizenship so that they would not have to endure the five year waiting period. The Einsteins declined the President’s generous suggestion saying they wanted to be treated like any other applicant for American citizenship. Because the Einsteins had not been sure of their ultimate destination and declared themselves as visitors instead of immigrants when they arrived in October 1933 this meant that they would need to leave the U.S. and return again to declare intention to seek citizenship. The United Jewish Appeal UJA planned a fund-raising dinner in Einstein’s honor for May 28 1935. This was exactly the time the Einsteins had set aside to leave the country to perfect their citizenship so he was forced to decline the invitation. He did however provide them with a statement that was received by the UJA on May 25 the very day the Einsteins stepped onboard the Queen Mary to travel to British-owned Bermuda for a few days to satisfy the formalities. The royal governor was there to greet them when they arrived in Hamilton and he recommended the island’s two best hotels. Einstein found them stuffy and pretentious. As they walked through town he saw a modest guest cottage and that is where they ended up. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-32085 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20240908143641/Einstein-May-23-1935-1-1600x968.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""968"" /> Typed statement signed in German Princeton May 23 1935 time stamped as received on May 25 to be read at the UJA dinner and issued to the press accordingly. It takes the moral high ground but warns of great dangers ahead. ”Unfortunately because of non-deferrable obligations I can only express in writing my recognition and gratitude for the assistance provided to the many unfortunate people by the dinner on the 28th of May. We can gain consolation in this critical time if we compare the moral standard of our friends and our enemies with each other. The result of such a comparison shows us that our way for world history can be considered the better one even if at times it is arduous and very painful.” Our research indicates that this important statement is unpublished as the dinner was postponed and it was never released to the press. But even this moving and forceful statement was not enough for the event organizers. Learning that Einstein could not attend they postponed the dinner. Instead the $50-a-plate dinner for the benefit of the UJA arranged by that organization and the Council of Jewish Organizations was held in New York City on June 26 with Einstein in attendance. About 1000 people attended the banquet at which Einstein spoke. In his speech Einstein returned to the same theme of morality as in the above statement saying that the ""moral disintegration and intensified national egoism"" of the times requires all Jews to strengthen their ranks to preserve Jewry. Of foremost importance he said was the upbuilding of the settlement in Palestine. On June 28 the UJA announced it was using the proceeds from the dinner to aid German refugees in New York City by allocating funds to local agencies equipped to care for the refugees. Einstein reentered the U.S. from Bermuda on June 3 1935. On January 15 1936 the Einsteins submitted their declaration of intention to become citizens of the United States. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1905réf. 19259Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1905. FIRST EDITION. Line-block and halftone text illustrations one folding table 3 halftone plates 1 collotype plate. Contemporary cloth-backed marbled boards title and date in gilt on spine; an excellent copy with the small stamp of the University of Basel on the fly-leaf preserved in a clamshell box. First edition journal issues of three important early papers by Einstein. In the first paper “Einstein suggested that light be considered a collection of independent particles of energy which he called ‘light quanta.’ Such a hypothesis he argued would provide an answer to the problem of black-body radiation where classical theories had failed and would also explain several puzzling properties of fluorescence photoionization and the photoelectric effect” Norman. It was for this paper together with one of the photoelectric effect “Zur theorie der Lichterzeugung und Lichtabsorption” published in 1906 that Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. The second paper proved according to Einstein himself that “according to the molecular theory of heat bodies of dimensions of the order of 1/1000 mm. suspended in liquid experience apparent random movement due to the thermal Brownian molecular movement quoted by R.W. Clark Einstein New York 1984 p. 87. Experimental verification of the predictions made in this paper contributed to proving the physical reality of molecules. The third paper on the electodynamics of moving bodies was Einstein’s first statement of the special theory of relativity. In it he argued that all motion is relative to the inertial system in which it is measured and that matter and energy are equivalent. As he himself remarked “it modifies the theory of space and time.” I: Weil 6; Norman 689; II: Weil 8 Norman 690; III: Weil 9 Dibner Heralds of Science 167; Grolier/Horblit 26b Norman 691A. Johann Ambrosius Barth unknown books
réf. 2034512/12/30. We obtained this photograph directly from the Guard heirs and it has never before been offered for sale In December 1930 Albert Einstein visited America for the second time. It was originally intended as merely a two-month working visit as a research fellow at the California Institute of Technology but Einstein’s popularity made the trip headline news. After arriving in New York City Einstein was taken to various places and events including Chinatown a lunch with the editors of The New York Times and a performance of Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera on December 12 where Einstein an opera buff who revered Mozart Bach and other great composers was cheered by the audience on his arrival. William Guard was engaged by the Manhattan Opera Company as a press representative upon its organization in 1906. Upon the company's dissolution he took a similar position with the Metropolitan Opera remaining with the company until his death in 1932. Einstein met Guard at his office on his visit to the Met. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-26178 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204133729/Einstein-Opera-1-e1673307039907-1600x1193.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1193"" /> Newspapers reported on December 14 1930: “Einstein Theory Defined in Sentence”. “At last Prof. Einstein has hit upon a one sentence definition of relativity which anyone can understand. He was chatting recently in the office of William Guard factotum of the Metropolitan Opera. ‘Professor’ said Guard ‘I have a definition of your relativity theory and I would like to know if it is correct.’ The Professor smiled. There are presumed to be only a handful of wise men in the entire world who are able to understand it. ‘My definition is this’ said Guard. ‘There is no hitching post in the universe—so far as we know.’ Einstein laughed and nodded assent vigorously.” A spectacular 8 by 10 inch photograph of Einstein inscribed and presented by the great scientist to Guard on his visit to the Met: ""Mr. William J. Guard / A. Einstein / 12. XII.30.” We obtained this photograph directly from the Guard heirs and it has never before been offered for sale. unknown books
1954réf. 2625423/02/1954. An increasingly uncommon letter of Einstein on the role of religions philosophy peace and the dangers of the atomic age that he helped usher in <img class=""alignnone wp-image-26334 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204132831/Einstein-Feb-28-1954-1-e1674939062835-1600x216.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""216"" /> Albert Einstein believed that wars stood in the way of human progress and he was a lifelong pacifist though he did not believe in pacifism at any price or in all situations. He was also an active promoter of world peace from the days of World War I right up to his death in 1955. In fact one of his last acts before his death was to add his signature to a statement of nine scientists warning that the world risked universal annihilation unless the institution of war was abolished. Knowing his stance people from all over the world appealed to him to assist various causes consistent with these beliefs and to give statements supporting individuals and groups that did so. Einstein was also not a member or follower of any organized religion. He considered himself a Jew but was not a practicing Jew. And as for the Christian churches he felt that it “since Constantine has always favored the authoritarian State as long as the State allows the Church to baptize and instruct the masses"". Their conduct in the years up to World War II was worse than disappointing he thought as they made the devil’s bargain - the evil compromise - with the Hitler regime. Einstein addressed this saying “Since when can one make a pact with Christ and Satan at the same time"" He added ""The Church has always sold itself to those in power and agreed to any bargain in return for immunity…If I were allowed to give advice to the Churches I would tell them to begin with a conversion among themselves and to stop playing power politics.” This idea of an evil compromise or devil's pact is central to his feelings about organized religion. There was one exception to his criticism of religions - the Quakers. Their community aims at purifying the Christian world and generating social reform by creating direct experience with God without intervention of clergy or other expressions of church. The Quakers greatly influenced science and industry and their community is noted for the pursuit of peace and non-violence. Thus Einstein’s views fit into their belief system. “If I were not a Jew I would be a Quaker” he once wrote. Speaking to a Quaker gathering in 1938 he said ""With admiration and respect I have seen in the course of many years how successfully and selflessly the Society of Friends has worked in the entire world to lessen human suffering and to make the teachings of Christ apply to real life. Everyone who is concerned about a better lot and a more dignified stature for humanity owes deep gratitude to the Society of Friends. This Society is an admirable testimony against the assertion that every organization by its very nature kills the spirit which has called it into life.” <img class=""alignnone wp-image-26335 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204132818/Einstein-Feb-28-1954-2-e1674939294283-1600x653.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""653"" /> In 1949 the Australian pathologist Alton R. Chapple who was a Quaker wrote to Einstein in the then-current climate of concern regarding the perils of the atomic age for ""a few words of leadership and hope"". Einstein responded stressing the necessity for moral courage by the individual. He said that power is often in the hands of power-loving persons who know very little restrictions when it comes to the realization of their ambitious goals; and answering negatively the question whether self-restraint on what “productive thinkers and explorers” research might not prevent further development of means of mass destruction. He gave three main reasons: 1 The already existing means of destruction are effective enough to bring about total destruction; 2 People really devoted to the progress of knowledge concerning the physical world like Faraday or Rutherford have never worked for practical goals let alone military goals. And nobody could know in advance what kind of application might be developed on the basis of their discoveries; and 3 People of technical skill are so numerous and so dependent economically that they cannot be expected to refuse employment offered them by the state or private industry even if they were able to clearly recognize that their work will lead to disaster on a world-wide scale. He concluded that hope can only be based on the intellectual and moral independence of a sufficient number of people since “honesty and courage of the individual to stand up for his convictions on every occasion is the only essential thing”. Chapple wrote Einstein again in 1954 about the Quakers and a perceived contradiction that Chapple discerned in the 1949 letter thinking that Einstein stated that he does not expect people to refuse to work in research that generates knowledge for the means of mass destruction. Einstein responded to Chapple giving a virtual primer on his world view and opinions on how a religion and religious individuals could live a moral life and contribute something valuable to society and the cause of peace. This he felt the Quakers did. Typed letter signed on his blind-embossed letterhead Princeton February 23 1954 to Alton Chapple in Australia illuminating Einstein’s judgment and standards of conduct. “Thank you for your letter of February 16th. I consider the Society of Friends the religious community which has the highest moral standards. As far as I know they have never made evil compromises and are always guided by their conscience. In international life especially their influence seems to me to be very beneficial and effective. “There seems to me to be no contradiction in my remarks in my former letter to you. The rules applying to a moral elite can not be expected to be followed by the rank and file.” So here Einstein praises those religions with “the highest moral standards”. He especially lays out the need for them and for individuals to avoid “evil” compromises and to always be guided by conscience. If an individual does these things or a dedicated group like the Quakers they will gain influence that is both beneficial and effective. Einstein does stand by his statement in the 1949 letter maintaining that from his experience moral elites lead and that those in rank and file don’t necessarily follow that lead. In a sense he is saying that an ethical elite exercising leadership has the best chance of saving the world. An increasingly uncommon letter of Einstein on philosophy peace the role of religions and religious individuals and the dangers of the atomic age that he helped usher in. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
réf. 225685/5/33. Germany as an island of intellectuals is no longer possible he writes blaming the fall of his country and exile of his colleagues on poor education a vestige of Bismarck ""I am almost collapsing under all my responsibilities."" A glimpse into the tragic end to the scientific flowering of pre-Nazi Germany along with Einstein's explanation for why it all happened A rare letter from a brief but consequential period in Einstein's life: after he left Germany but before he arrived in America Einstein had long been a revered scientist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and was employed by Berlin University. At the beginning of March 1932 he returned to Germany from a visit to the United States where he had discussed heading the soon-to-open Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton New Jersey. He determined to accept and to spend half the year in Berlin and half the year in Princeton. But that year the Nazis were on the rise. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Einstein that his life was in danger. A Nazi organization published a magazine with Einstein’s picture and the caption “Not Yet Hanged” on the cover. There was even a price on his head. In December 1932 Einstein again left Germany to be a visiting professor at CalTech in Pasadena California. When Hitler was appointed German chancellor on January 30 1933 the physicist had just arrived in New York on his way to California to lecture on his theory of relativity. Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany was now open swift and often violent. Prominent Jews were denounced by Nazi officials attacked in the media and subjected to violence and arrest. As a vocal opponent of Nazism and a staunch advocate of pacifism Einstein was a particularly attractive target. Fortunately at the time Hitler came to power Einstein was already in the United States. Nonetheless the Nazis publicly agitated against Einstein as a symbol of “Jewish degeneracy” and accused him of spreading “atrocity propaganda.” In February and March 1933 the Gestapo repeatedly raided his family’s apartment in Berlin. Despite his own March 15 1933 declaration of self-imposed exile from Nazi Germany as well as warnings from friends that it was too dangerous to return Einstein and his wife decided to travel back to Germany intending to visit their summer cottage. At the end of March they arrived in Antwerp on the SS Belgenland owned by the shipping company Red Star Line. There they learned that Nazis had ransacked their cottage in Caputh at which point they decided that re-entering Germany was unwise. In April 1933 Einstein discovered that the new German government had passed laws barring Jews from holding any official positions including teaching at universities. Thousands of Jewish scientists were suddenly forced to give up their university positions and their names were removed from the rolls of institutions where they were employed. Einstein was now without a permanent home unsure where he would live and work and equally worried about the fate of countless other scientists still in Germany. He rented a house in De Haan Belgium where he lived for a few months. In late July 1933 he went to England for about six weeks where he was introduced to Winston Churchill. Einstein asked Churchill to help bring Jewish scientists out of Germany. British historian Martin Gilbert notes that Churchill responded immediately and sent his friend physicist Frederick Lindemann to Germany to seek out Jewish scientists and place them in British universities. In October 1933 Einstein returned to the US and took up his position at the Institute for Advanced Study. He had already revoked his German citizenship in Brussels and handed in his notice at Berlin University. He would never return to Germany. Michele Angelo Besso was a Swiss/Italian engineer. A Sephardic Jew by birth he was a close friend of Einstein during his years at the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich and then at the patent office in Bern where Einstein helped him to get a job. Einstein called Besso ""the best sounding board in Europe"" for scientific ideas. In Einstein's original paper on special relativity he ended the paper stating ""In conclusion let me note that my friend and colleague M. Besso steadfastly stood by me in my work on the problem here discussed and that I am indebted to him for many a valuable suggestion."" After his resignation in 1890 Otto von Bismarck was venerated as unified Germany’s founding father not only during the remaining twenty-eight years of the monarchy but also albeit less emphatically in the Weimar Republic in Nazi Germany and in the Federal Republic. Throughout Germany numerous Bismarck statues are testament to the admiration. Hamburg has three. His memorialisation even went beyond Germany; the capital of the US state of North Dakota for example is named after him. Einstein was evidently not a proponent of the erstwhile unifier of Germany. As Einstein wrote of Bismarck’s influence ""The characteristic feature of this mentality is that people place the importance of what Bertrand Russell so tellingly terms “naked power” far above all other factors which affect the relations between peoples. The Germans misled by Bismarck’s successes in particular underwent just such a transformation of their mentality—in consequence of which they were entirely ruined in less than a hundred years."" In this letter he encourages Besso to let him have his suggestions for saving Hermann Weyl from the regime – through substituting him for Einstein on a proposed trip to Spain would seem disastrously tactless. He sends his regards to Anna Besso with the rueful remark that the German example bodes ill for an intellectual utopia which she had proposed. Weyl would go on work with him at Princeton. These two men were among Einstein's closest friends and colleague - Jewish or closely tied to Jewish relatives. He is rushing to get them out. Typed letter signed in German Le Coq-sur-mer Belgium May 5th 1933 to Besso. ""Dear Michele! I was not affected personally but just about everybody else who is kind of close to me was. Bismarck’s dismal education policy is wreaking havoc again with the German people. ""I would love to follow your suggestion regarding Weyl if I saw any possibility at all especially since I am almost collapsing under all my responsibilities. Even the slightest attempt to replace me with someone else in Spain would without a doubt be perceived as extremely upsetting. Have you not thought of that ""Rushed greetings to you Albert."" He writes a postscript: ""Greetings to Anna from me and tell her she can judge herself based on the current German conditions what her concept of 'island of intellectuals' would look like."" In July 1933 upon Einstein’s request a committee of 51 American artists intellectuals and political leaders came together to form the International Relief Association. Among them were the philosopher John Dewey the writer John Dos Passos and the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Other prominent citizens including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt soon joined the effort. Its mission as The New York Times reported on July 24 1933 was to “assist Germans suffering from the policies of the Hitler regime.” But Einstein did much more. He tried to persuade political leaders in the United States and Europe to take action to help the Jewish populations at risk particularly those of his colleagues in Germany's scientific community which was very hard hit. He worked tirelessly to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis and to find them places of refuge and employment. Many immigrants to the United States during the mid to late 1930s were Jewish between 1939 and 1940 more than half of all immigrants were Jews most of them refugees fleeing persecution in Europe. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-22732 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204162353/Folder-site-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
