187 résultats
192010340London: Methuen & Co. LTD 1920. First Edition. Cloth. Near fine. First English edition of Albert Einstein's Special & General Theory of Relativity in publisher's scarce dust jacket. Octavo xiii 3 138pp. 8pp ads. Red cloth title in gilt on spine stamped on cover. "First Published in 1920" statement on copyright page. A few leaves are unopened along the top edge. Light even toning throughout. Front hinge starting to separate but text block stable. Previous ownership inscription on front endpaper. Housed in custom brown leather clamshell lined in tan cloth title in gilt on spine. In publisher's original dust jacket expert restoration to spine and hinges remnants of tape repair to spine exceptionally scarce. First published in German in 1916 this copy is the first English translation of Relativity with the aim of giving "an exact insight into the theory of relativity to those readers who from a general scientific and philosophical point of view are interested in the theory but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics." - Albert Einstein. The first American edition was published later the same year. Methuen & Co. LTD unknown books
1916432941916. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955. Ein einfaches Experiment zum Nachweis der Ampèreschen Molekularströme. Offprint from Verhandlung der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft 18 1916. 173-177pp. 230 x 157 mm. Original printed wrappers. Fine copy.</p> <p>First Edition Offprint Issue. In 1915 Einstein and Dutch physicist Wander Johannes de Haas conducted gyromagnetic experiments leading to the discovery of the Einstein-de Haas effect which corresponds to the mechanical rotation induced in a ferromagnetic cylinder suspended inside a coil when an impulse of electric current is sent through the coil. Einstein was very enthusiastic about the experimental results stating that he and de Haas had "given firm proof of the existence of Ampère's molecular currents" quoted in Pais Subtle is the Lord pp. 245-246. After his collaboration with de Haas ended Einstein published the present paper on the Einstein-de Haas effect proposing a new experimental method for determining gyromagnetism. The Einstein-de Haas effect is now known to reveal a relationship between magnetism angular momentum and electron spin; however this was not understood at the time as electron spin was not discovered until the 1920s. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 82.</p> . unknown books
191667998EinsteinÃs Theory of Relativity in Original Wrappers EINSTEIN Albert. Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativit‰tstheorie. Sonderdruck aus den Annalen der Physik Band 49 1916. Leipzig: Verlag von Johann Ambrosius Barth 1916. First separate printing with significant additions and revisions to the edition printed in the Annalen der Physik. With printerÃs imprint ìDruck von Metzger & Witting in Leipzigî on the verso of the title and the shorter imprint ìMetzger & Witting Leipzigî on the back wrapper. Octavo 9 1/2 x 6 3/8 inches; 240 x 160 mm. 64 pp. Original tan printed wrappers. Some light browning around the edges of the wrappers. Overall an excellent copy with none of the spine erosion or soiling usually found with this fragile item. ìThe authorized version of EinsteinÃs general theory of relativity. The theoryÃs impact upon twentieth-century science and thought can hardly be overstatedî Norman Library 695 describing the first printing. ìThis separate edition is printed on good strong paper the wrappers are of strong material too.and it is described now as ëthe original editionà of this classic paperî Weil. Grolier/Horblit 26c describing the first printing. Norman Library 696. Printing and the Mind of Man 408. Weil 80a. HBS 67998. $7500 Verlag von Johann Ambrosius Barth unknown books
1930019304Havana Cuba: not published 1930. Book. Very good- condition. Unbound. Signed by Authors. First Edition. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. A page from the guest book register of the Hebrew College in Havana Cuba signed by Albert Einstein. On his journey to America the scientist stopped in Havana for a little over a day. In addition to touring the island and meeting dignitaries Einstein first traveled to the Jewish community and specifically the "Colegio Hebrew del Centro Israelita de Cuba" during his 30 hour visit to Cuba which started on December 19 1930. The double-sided guest book page has 16 entries dating from September 12 1929 to March 9 1931. Some of the visitors who signed the guest book were from the island but several were from the USA. Most of the American visitors were fellow Zionists and/or helped to raise funds for various Jewish causes. The Director of the Hebrew College at that time as identified on the sheet is Dr. Juan del Valle. The page was folded and has numerous paper clip creases and rust stains a few small perforations from staples and has moderate soiling and wear. Included is also a small loose contemporary newsprint photograph of Einstein from a Spanish language newspaper. The entries in chronological order as best as could be transcribed are: 09/12/29 O. Lopez as Inspector Auxilier; 11/14/29 Oscar Lopez giving address as 177 Enrique Villuendas; lengthy handwritten comment in Spanish by O. Lopez; 12/12/29 Dr. Abraham Coralnik 1883-1937 of New York - lengthy handwritten comment in English by Coralnik who was Editor of "The Day" a Yiddish NY newspaper; No date n.d. Emanuel Celler 1888-1981 Brooklyn politician; n.d Morris Fishman - 2252 Gladstone Detroit MI - Vice President of the Detroit Life Insurance Company and fundraiser/spokesperson for United Jewish Campaign including funds for United Hebrew Schools; n.d. Nathan Borin - 3008 Cortland Av Detroit MI - businessman and president of coal dealer partnership Borin Brothers Company; n.d. Mrs. Yenchyl - 1209 Tuilnyame; n.d. Rabbi Louis J. Victor Eppstein - Havana; n.d. Rabbi I. Edward Kiev - NYC 1905-1975 - Head Librarian Hebrew Union College 02/07/30 Oscar Lopez; 06/12/30 Simon Eisenberg - S.A. de los Banes; 06/12/30 Herman Chervony - Havana - member of the Board of "Centro Israelita de Cuba" which was formed in 1925; 12/19/30 A. Einstein - Berlin; 12/12/31 Oscar Gutierrez - Biela 91; 03/09/31 Franco Goires - Monte 163 Alto - Inspector Auxilier. Protected in a Lucite frame. The paper measures 11.75 inches height by 9 inches width. not published Paperback books
19321864np: np 1932. First edition. nb. UNPUBLISHED CANDID PHOTOGRAPHS OF EINSTEIN AND LETTERS BY WILLIAM HUBBARD OFFERING AN INTIMATE VIEW OF THE SCIENTIST ON VACATION. On March 2 1932 at the height of his career and world fame Albert Einstein and his wife Elsa set off on a vacation to their German homeland departing from Los Angeles on the M. S. San Francisco. Another passenger aboard the ship was the renowned music scholar William Lines Hubbard. Famous in his own right Hubbard was the music critic for the Chicago Tribune and author of a definitive 11-volume work on the history of opera published 1908. Accompanying Hubbard was his companion Julia Reid their cabins adjacent to that of the Einstein's. As was the practice during this era Hubbard kept detailed journals and letters of his travel experiences. This collection from the estate of Hubbard contains the following items:
 1. Three unpublished small black-and-white and sepia photographs. The first photograph 4.5" x 2.5" pictures Einstein his wife Elsa the Ship's Captain Hubbard the tall figure and three other of the ship's passengers dated 3/14/32. The second photograph 3.5" x 3.25" is an outstanding full front image of Einstein his wife Elsa and the ship's Captain. The final photograph 4.5" x 2.5" is a full frontal image of Einstein and his wife Elsa both seated in deck chairs with the ship's Captain standing behind.
 2. Typed letter dated March 22 1932 written while sailing through the South Atlantic. Six pages typed front and back on two pieces folded of the ship's original stationary approx. 7.5x11 in. Excerpts on Einstein include:

 Of our Six Passengers two are Prof. Einstein and wife. They are proving very delightful companions-- sincere unaffected and jolly. At first they were very reserved and merely bowed and smiled and "Guten-Morgan-ed" when entering and leaving the dining room but when they had become rested and saw that none of the rest of us planned to intrude they came forward and have been very genial. She is a great talker but talks interestingly. He walks deck smoking his stubby black pipe or whistling cheerily his gray hair blowing in the breeze. Each forenoon and sometimes in the afternoon he goes to the piano and plays for half hour or so. Plays in that satisfying manner peculiar to a man to whom music is a comfort and who thinks musically. It is in no wise brilliant playing but it is throughly enjoyable to hear. The rest of the time he sits in his steamer chair or in his cabin reading or thinking. On the 14th he had his 53rd birthday and the Capt had ordered from La Libertad Salvador where we had taken cargo the day before large bunches of easter and tiger lilies which in the morning were on the Einstein table together with a birthday cake the ship's cook had made and countless cards and letters which friends had sent. It was all a complete surprise to them both and their happiness was childlike in its spontaneity and sincerity. It was heart warming to watch them. They seem to appreciate being left to themselves and not being lionized. It is the third time they have come through the canal on these boards an they enjoy it to the full.
 3. Typed letter dated April 1 1932 written while entering the English Channel. Seven pages on two approx. 8.5x11in sheets folded of the ship's original stationary. Excerpts on Einstein include: 

We had good fun watching for crocodiles along the banks as we came up the cut and Prof Einstein was especially gleeful when he discovered one. Professor Einstein loves the roung sic weather and has reveled in it. He and the Mme are proving very delightful fellow passengers. She is very chatty but chats interestingly and he struts up and down deck smoking his stubby pipe or whistling like a jolly kid his white hair blowing in the breeze. We have some talks occasionally and he yesterday when he saw the copy of Living Philosophies which I had given me sic before I left San Diego and in which his article is the first took the book and autographed his picture and wrote in remembrance of the happy days on board the San Francisco. I don't think I told you of his birthday which occurred on the 14 of March the day before we reached the Canal. The Capt came to know if it and when the Einsteins came to their table at breakfast they found it decorated with three huge vases of Easter and Tiger lilies which the Capt had secured in La Libertad. The cook had made a gorgeously decorated Torte-- one of the filled and frosted German cakes-- and there were letters and telegrams from friends which had been sent in the Capt's care. It was a complete surprise to the Einsteins and they were like two happy kiddies. It was gladdening to watch their simple and keen enjoyment. Later we had pieces of the Torte which were a bit of muchness for breakfast but which of course we ate. 
4. Typed letter dated April 24 1932 written in Merano Italy. Six pages on five 5.5x7in sheets. 

While recalling a cargo transfer on the M. S. San Fransisco Hubbard writes: The Einsteins were especially enthusiastic and we had a great fun over the boss of the unloading. He was a huge and tremendously rotund gent wearing a soft felt hat and a short overcoat the buttons of which seemed fated to "bust off" at any moment. His chief employment seemed to be running about from side to side of the dock into the warehouse and out again clambering onboard and then clambering off and all the time shouting orders at the top of his voice and gesticulating wildly. Einstein had been reading the "Living Philosophies" which I had loaned him and was especially curious concerning Mencken and how he happened to be included in the great ones in the book. I gave him an outline of Mr. M's greatness and assured him that the book cold sic well largely on account of M being included. All of which amused the Einsteins greatly. So when this wild boss hove into sight that morning and began his excited directing Mrs E said "there is Mister Mencken" and thus he remained so long as we were in Rotterdam. The Einsteins were starting early the next morning for Berlin so they went about 9 pm to the custom house and had their 16 packages bundles and gifts examined. Frau Professor had a funny story to tell of their experience with the 150 pound bag of coffee that had been presented them in Salvador. 


5. An official passenger list from the M. S. San Francisco printed on the ship's original stationary 4.75" x 8.25" dated March 2 1932. With "Professor Albert Einstein" and "Mrs. Albert Einstein" shown under the list of cabin passengers going from Los Angeles to Bremen.


 6. A postcard depicting Hubbard's profile in black and white 3.45" x 5.45".

 All items in very good condition letters with wear and soiling at folds and housed in a custom cloth presentation folder. RARE FIRST-HAND TESTIMONY REVEALING THE PERSONALITY OF EINSTEIN IN RELAXED AND INFORMAL MOMENTS. np unknown books
19361198491936. Rare typed letter signed by Albert Einstein. One page typescript text in German. The letter is dated 19 June 1936 and addressed to Dr. Hugo Bergman Hebrew University Jerusalem and reads: Lieber Herr Bergmann: Ueberbringer dieses Briefes ist "Seine amerikanische Heiligkeit" Rabbi Silberfeld von Newark New Jersey ein guter Bekannter von mir. Zuhause aller Wege kundig nicht aber in Palaestina. Es ware lieb von Ihnen wenn Sie ihm ein paar Winke gaben damit er sich dort zurechtfindet. Herzlich grusst Sie Ihr "A. Einstein." This translates as: Dear Mr. Bergmann: The bearer of this letter is "His American Holiness" Rabbi Silberfeld of Newark New Jersey a good friend of mine. At home he knows all the ways but not in Palestine. It would be nice of you if you gave him a few hints. yours "A. Einstein." Einstein's close personal friend Rabbi Julius Silberfeld was the rabbi of Temple B'nai Abraham in Newark New Jersey from 1902 to 1939. After it became clear that he could not return to Germany with Hitler's rise to power during his 1933 visit to the United States Einstein resided in England and Belgium for several months before returning to the U.S. where he accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton New Jersey noted for having become a refuge for scientists fleeing Nazi Germany. It was here that he likely met and formed a close bond with Rabbi Silberfeld. The recipient of the letter Hugo Bergmann was the first rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem between 1935 and 1938 which Einstein was instrumental in establishing in 1925 and was among its first Board of Governors. The letter is in near fine condition with a small paper clip imprint. Desirable with noted provenance. Albert Einstein developed the general theory of relativity one of the two pillars of modern physics alongside quantum mechanics. Einstein's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. Einstein is best known in popular culture for his mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc2 which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his "services to theoretical physics" in particular his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory David Bodanis. unknown books
19472187Princeton NJ: Halsman 1947. Photograph. Fine. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS IMAGES OF EINSTEIN. Philippe Halsman's now iconic 1947 photograph of Einstein has become not only one of the most celebrated images of Einstein but one of the most recognizable images of the twentieth century. It was used to a 1966 US postage stamp of Einstein and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine honoring Einstein as the "Person of the Century".

 The photographer Halsman in his book Philippe Halsman: A Retrospective explained the circumstances of the photo: I admired Albert Einstein more than anyone I ever photographed not only as the genius who single-handedly had changed the foundation of modern physics but even more as a rare and idealistic human being.
 Personally I owed him an immense debt of gratitude. After the fall of France it was through his personal intervention that my name was added to the list of artists and scientists who in danger of being captured by the Nazis were given emergency visas to the United States.
 After my miraculous rescue I went to Princeton to thank Einstein and I remember vividly my first impression. Instead of a frail scientist I saw a deep-chested man with a resonant voice and a hearty laugh.
 The question of how to capture the essence of such a man in a portrait filled me with apprehension. Finally in 1947 I had the courage to bring on one of my visits my Halsman camera and a few floodlights. After tea I asked for permission to set up my lights in Einstein's study. The professor sat down and started peacefully working on his mathematical calculations. I took a few pictures. Ordinarily Einstein did not like photographers whom he called Lichtaffen light monkeys. But he cooperated because I was his guest and after all he had helped save me.
 Suddenly looking into my camera he started talking. He spoke about his despair that his formula E=mc2 and his letter to President Roosevelt had made the atomic bomb possible that his scientific search had resulted in the death of so many human beings. "Have you read" he asked "that powerful voices in the United States are demanding that the bomb be dropped on Russia now before the Russians have time to perfect their own" With my entire being I felt how much this infinitely good and compassionate man was suffering from the knowledge that he had helped to put in the hands of politicians a monstrous weapon of devastation and death.
 He grew silent. His eyes had a look of immense sadness. There was a question and a reproach in them.
 The spell of this moment almost paralyzed me. Then with an effort I released the shutter of my camera. Einstein looked up and I asked him "So you don't believe that there will ever be peace"
 "No" he answered. "As long as there will be man there will be wars." Silver prints of this photograph have been printed in different sizes over the years. This photograph is an official Halsman silver print with his copyright hand-stamp on the verso measuring approximately 10x13 inches. Princeton NJ. Silver print. Taken 1947; printed 1970s. Image: 13x10 inches 33x25.4 cm. Archivally matted and framed under UV-protecting museum glass to an overall size of 18.5x22 inches. A stunning piece in fine condition. Halsman unknown books
19052103Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1905. First edition. Contemporary morocco over marbled boards. Very Good. FIRST PRINTING of Albert Einstein's groundbreaking 1905 paper the introduction and derivation of the most famous equation in modern physics: E=mc2. "A few months after first publishing the theory of relativity Einstein discovered something that particularly intrigued him; the relation between inertial mass and energy. He wrote to Conrad Habicht during the summer of 1905: 'One more consequence of the paper on electrodynamics has also occurred to me. The principle of relativity in conjunction with Maxwell's equations requires that mass be a direct measure of the energy contained in a body; light carries mass with it. A noticeable decrease of mass should occur in the case of radium. The argument is amusing and seductive but for all I know the Lord might be laughing over it and leading me around by the nose'" Stachel Einstein's Miraculous Year. Einstein continued to work late into the summer on this "amusing and seductive" problem before proving the mass-energy relationship that would become known throughout the world as the simple and elegant E=mc2. Received by Annalen der Physik on September 27 Einstein's derivation and proof of his most famous equation was a dramatic contribution to his annus mirabilis of 1905. Weil 10. Note: In this paper and others until 1912 Einstein used the symbol "L" for energy in his equations and wrote the formula in the form: Mass= L/c2. In: Annalen der Physik Vierte Folge Volume 18 part 13 pages 639-41. Leipzig: Barth 1905. Octavo contemporary half-morocco over marbled boards. The whole volume 18 offered complete with volume halt-title title and contents. Some scuffing to spine of binding; text exceptionally fine. A rare copy in a contemporary binding with no institutional stamps. Johann Ambrosius Barth unknown books
19482327Princeton NJ: np 1948. framed. Fine. ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED IMAGES OF EINSTEIN SIGNED BY MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER YOUSUF KARSH. On February 11 1948 Yousuf Karsh perhaps the most accomplished portrait photographer of his generation visited The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton to fulfill a dream of his: to photograph Albert Einstein. As he later explained: "Among the tasks that life as a photographer had set me a portrait of Albert Einstein had always seemed a 'must' - not only because this greatest refugee of our century has been accounted by all the world as the most outstanding scientist since Newton but because his face in all its rough grandeur invited and challenged the camera." Karsh: Beyond the Camera David Travis ed. "At Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study I found Einstein a simple kindly almost childlike man too great for any of the postures of eminence. One did not have to understand his science to feel the power of his mind or the force of his personality" official Karsh website. "Awed before this unique intellect I yet ventured to ask Einstein his views on human immortality. He mused for a moment and then replied 'What I believe of immortality There are two kinds. The first lives in the imagination of people and is thus an illusion. There is a relative immortality which may conserve the memory of an individual for some generations. But there is only one true immortality on a cosmic scale ant that is the immortality of the cosmos itself. There is no other.' "He spoke of these ultimate mysteries as calmly as he might a student's question about mathematics - with such an air of quiet confidence indeed that I found his answer profoundly disturbing to one who held other views. Knowing him to be an accomplished violinist I turned the conversation and asked if there were any connection between music and mathematics. 'In art he said 'and in the higher ranges of science there is a feeling of harmony which underlies all endeavour. There is no true greatness in art or science without that sense of harmony. He who lacks it can never be more than a great technician in either field.' "Was he optimistic about the future harmony of mankind itself He appeared to ponder deeply and remarked in graver tones: 'Optimistic No. But if mankind fails to find a harmonious solution than there will be disaster on a dimension beyond anyone's imagination.' To what source should we look for the hope of the world's future 'To ourselves' said Einstein. He spoke sadly yet serenely as one who had looked into the universe far past mankind's small affairs. In this humor my camera caught him. the portrait of a man who had traveled beyond hope or despair." Yousuf Karsh Regarding Heroes. Opening quote from: Colin Naylor ed. Contemporary Photographers. Silver print. Photo taken Princeton 1948. Printed later. Signed by Karsh in full beneath the image on photographer's mount. With Karsh's original calling "card" - a 4x10 inch cardboard slip - included. Image: 8x9 inches. Framed to an overall size of 12x15 inches. Fine condition. np unknown books
6866Einstein Albert. Nobel Prize winning physicist. Vintage Signed Photo. A sepia candid photo of Einstein talking to another man Signed by Einstein on the blank verso in ink "Albert Einstein". Photo is aprox 3.5 in x 5 in and verso is a blank postcard as it was fashionable in the 1930's. Einstein wears a cap and is in profile the other man has his back to us. They are both wearing winter overcoats and are having a conversation outdoor by what seems to be a boat mass. This unique candid shot seems to be taken on one of Einstein many trips aboard vessels in the 1930's. Einstein said on a boat he was oblivious to everything else in the world and once wrote "A cruise in the sea is an excellent opportunity for maximum calm and reflection on ideas from a different perspective." The signature is very clean and dark and in very good condition. unknown books
19142124Berlin: Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1914. FIRST EDITION OFFPRINT. Original wrappers. Fine. FIRST EDITION COMMERCIAL OFFPRINT ISSUE of Einstein's important 1914 paper on the development of general relativity. "In summer 1914 Einstein felt that the new theory general relativity should be presented in a comprehensive review. He also felt that a mathematical derivation of the field equations that would determine them uniquely was still missing. "Both tasks are addressed in a long paper presented in October 1914 to the Prussian Academy for publication in its Sitzungsberichte. It is entitled 'The formal foundation of the general theory of relativity'; here for the first time Einstein gave the new theory of relativity the epithet 'general' in lieu of the more cautious 'generalized' that he had used for the Entwurf" Landmark Writings in Western Mathematics 1640-1940. "According to John Norton 'How Einstein Found His Field Equations' this major review article was intended to convey the full content of the 1913 'Entwurf' theory: 'The principal novelty lies in the mathematical formulation of the theory. Drawing on earlier work with Marcel Grossman Einstein formulated his gravitational field equations using a variation principle. Using this richer mathematical structure Einstein offered a proof purporting to demonstrate that his theory had the maximum covariance compatible with the hole argument; that is covariance under 'justified' transformation between the 'adapted coordinate systems' he had introduced with Grossman'" Calaprice The Einstein Almanac. Offprint from: Sitzungsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften XLI 19 November 1914 pp. 1030-1085. Berlin: Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1914. Octavo original wrappers; custom box. Neat early ownership name on front wrapper. Only the slightest wear; a fine copy. Rare. Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften unknown books
1916140940031Leipzig: Verlag von Johann Ambrosius Barth 1916. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition. Annalen der Physik Band 48 No. 7. total pp. 769-880 with Einstein's paper "Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie" on pp. 769-822. "Druck von Metzger & Wittig in Leipzig" to foot of pp. 880. Finely bound without wraps opens directly to p. 769 in marbled boards with brown leather spine lettered in gilt with contents lightly toned else Fine. Also contains papers by Otto Stern W. Wein R. Hirsch and H. Lussem. Text in German. The first printing of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and a continuation of his ideas of first set forth in a 1905 paper on special relativity. General relativity refines Newton's laws of gravity describing it as a geometric property of space and time applying it to the universe. Verlag von Johann Ambrosius Barth unknown books
19152125Berlin: Verlag der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1915. First edition. Original wrappers. Fine. FIRST PRINTING IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS IN FINE CONDITION of Einstein's famous November 4 1915 paper introducing his new version of general relativity. By autumn 1915 Einstein experienced a "crisis" in his work on his gravitational equations and the general theory of relativity forcing him to abandon several key elements of his earlier work. In October 1915 "Einstein shifted his focus from the physical strategy which emphasized his feel for the basic principles of physics and returned to a greater reliance on a mathematical strategy which made use of the Riemann and Ricci tensors. 'Einstein's reversal' writes John Norton 'parted the waters and led him from bondage into the promised land of general relativity'. "The result was an exhausting four-week frenzy during which Einstein wrestled with a succession of tensors equations corrections and updates that he rushed to the Prussian Academy in a flurry of four Thursday lectures. It climaxed with the triumphant revision of Newton's universe at the end of November 1915" Isaacson. In this November 4th paper and lecture On the General Theory of Relativity Einstein presented "to the plenary session of the Prussian Academy a new version of general relativity" explaining "that he had 'completely lost confidence' in the equations he proposed in October 1914. His answers were still not entirely right. There was still one flaw a much smaller one which he eliminated three weeks later. But the road lay open. He was lyrical. 'No one who has really grasped it can escape the magic of this new theory'" Pais. Three weeks later - on November 25 1915 - Einstein did indeed eliminate the flaw and "presented to the physics-mathematics section of the Prussian Academy of Sciences a paper in which 'finally the general theory of relativity is closed as a logical structure'. The work is done" Pais. See: Isaacson Einstein pp. 211-221 and Pais Subtle is the Lord pp.250-261. Note: Einstein's November 11 paper was titled "Zur allgemeinen Relativitatstheorie II" but rather than a continuation or advancement of the November 4 paper it was a step backwards introducing a serious mistake that he would correct by November 25. IN: Sitzungsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Berlin: Verlag der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1915. Vol. 44. 778-786. Quarto original wrappers; custom box. A fine copy. RARE. Verlag der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften unknown books
19461827Princeton: Estate of Fred Stein 1946. Limited Edition. no binding. Fine. STUNNING LARGE GELATIN SILVER LIMITED EDITION PHOTOGRAPH; one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. One of only 450 in the edition. "In 1946 when Albert Einstein was in residence at Princeton University Fred Stein was granted ten minutes of the great man's time to take a portrait. After the time was up Einstein's secretary came in to usher Stein out. However Einstein insisted that he stay saying that their discussion was too interesting to cut short. The secretary came back repeatedly but the visit extended to two hours. The resulting portrait by Fred Stein pictures a deep intelligence engaged in thought. It became an iconic image and one of the most famous photographs ever taken of Albert Einstein" Dawn Freer "Fred Stein: A Retrospective". Printed later 1994 on behalf of the Fred Stein estate by Stein's son Peter Stein: "Printed and archivally processed by a master printer under Peter Stein's supervision and to his approval and matched as closely as possible to his father's vintage prints." Fred Stein website. Size: image 10.5 x 14 in.; with matte 16 x 20 in. Number 38/450. Limitation and "Albert Einstein Princeton 1946" on the front of the original matte beneath the photo; signed by Peter Stein and with stamp "Estate of Fred Stein" and "Authorised Estate print" on verso of matte. Estate of Fred Stein unknown books
1906432891906. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955. Über eine Methode zur Bestimmung des Verhältnisses der transversalen und longitudinalen Masse des Elektrons. Offprint from Annalen der Physik 21 1906. 583-586pp. 223 x 145 mm. Original printed wrappers chipped spine splitting minor spotting. Light toning but very good.</p> <p>First Edition Rare Offprint Issue. In his landmark 1905 paper on special relativity Einstein used the velocity-dependent concepts of transverse and longitudinal mass for the moving electron these terms have now been replaced with the concept of relativistic mass first defined by Lewis and Tolman in 1909. In the present paper Einstein proposed an experimental method for determining the ratio of the transverse to the longitudinal mass and invited experimentalists to verify his special theory of relativity. Einstein later abandoned velocity-dependent mass concepts stating in 1948 that "it is better to introduce no other mass concept than the ‘rest mass' m" quoted in L. B. Okun "The concept of mass" Physics Today 1989: 31-36. Lavenda A New Perspective on Relativity pp. 7-8. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 14. </p> . unknown books
1908432171908. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955 and Jakob Johann Laub 1884-1962. Über die elektromagnetischen Grundgleichungen für bewegter Körper. Offprint from Annalen der Physik 4th series 26 1908. 532-540pp. 225 x 146 mm. Original printed wrappers. Fine.</p> <p>First Edition Offprint Issue. Einstein's first paper written jointly with a collaborator on the relativistic electrodynamics of ponderable media. "In 1908 Laub wrote works together with Einstein on the basic electromagnetic equations which was aimed to replace the four-dimensional formulation of the electrodynamics by Minkowski by a simpler classical formulation. Both Laub and Einstein discounted the spacetime formalism as too complicated. However it turned out that Minkowski's spacetime formalism was fundamental for the further development of special relativity" Wikipedia. Pais Subtle is the Lord pp. 151 154. Shields 23. Weil 23.</p> . unknown books
1923171111001Princeton: Princeton University Press 1923. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. First American edition first printing. Near Fine with slight fade to spine cloth gilt stamping very sharp on front cover. Previous owner bookplate to front paste down with patch of abrasion at nearby gutter. Pages toned with several hinges just slightly over-opened. In a Very Good dust jacket with a large chip and tear at the top of the spine toning to spine and edges and several small edge tears. A very nice copy in the scarce dust jacket. Princeton University Press hardcover books
19312331Lancaster: Physical Review 1931. First Edition. Original wrappers. Fine. FIRST EDITION FIRST PRINTING IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS of Einstein's paper outlining a thought experiment to suggest that the uncertainty principle requires the acknowledgement of an indeterminate past. "To Heisenberg at the 1920's only the prediction of the future was important and the mathematical theory assisted him to calculate the probability of the end-state given the initial state: the description of the intermediate development of the system between two objectively recorded or recordable states did not seem to correspond to physical reality. <br /> <br /> "On the other hand Einstein as a critic of quantum physics did not admit Heisenberg's standpoint especially that the indeterminacy principle does not refer to the past. In the paper 'Knowledge of Past and Future in Quantum Mechanics' 1931 Einstein proposed an imaginary experiment in which 'the possibility of describing the past path of one particle would lead to predictions as to the future behavior of a second particle of a kind not allowed in the quantum mechanics.' So Einstein concluded that 'the principle of the quantum mechanics must involve an indeterminacy in the description of past events which is analogous to the indeterminacy in the prediction of future events.'<br /> <br /> "This should be understood in the context of Einstein's argument against the 'completeness' of quantum physics just in the same way that the purpose of the EPR argument 1935 was to show that the 'completeness' of quantum physics would lead to absurdity. In other words Einstein did not positively assert the existence of indeterminate past events but only intended to deduce it as the necessary conclusion of the 'completeness' of quantum physics.<br /> <br /> "The problem of the 'indeterminate' past re-appeared about fifty years later in J. A. Wheeler's discussion of the 'delayed-choice' experiment. This experiment is not an imaginary but an actual one which uses one particle say photon instead of two particles in Einstein's case.<br /> <br /> "After confirming the fact that what we can say of past events is decided by delayed choices made in the near past and now Wheeler discusses the possibility that the phenomena called into being by the present decision can reach backward in time even to the earliest days of the universe. He says:<br /> <br /> 'To use other language we are dealing with an elementary act of creation. It reaches into the present from billions of years in the past. It is wrong to think of the past as "already existing" in all detail. The "past" is theory. The past has no existence except as it is recorded in the present. By deciding what questions our quantum registering equipment shall put in the present we have an undeniable choice in what we have the right to say about the past.'<br /> <br /> "The interpretation of the indeterminacy principle will be altered if we accept the concept of the past indeterminacy. Heisenberg originally considered this principle as the limit of the exactitude of two incommensurable quantities at the simultaneous measurement. But the indeterminacy of past events which have not been recorded have a connection not with their simultaneous measurability but rather with the definability of their historic routes. That the definition of the past route or history of a particle depends on the present choice of an experimenter is the meaning of the 'indeterminate past'" Yutaka Tanaka "The 'Individuality of a Quantum Event". Weil 178.<br /> <br /> IN: Physical Review pp. 780-781 Vol. 37 No. 6 March 15 1931. Octavo original wrappers; custom box. Only slight wear to wrappers. A rare fine copy in original wrappers without any library stamps. Physical Review unknown books
1923108095Princeton University Press 1923. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First edition with Published 1922 on copyright page and 1923 on title page very good in the very rare dust jacket which had some wear and chips. Short tear at bottom of rear free endpaper. Housed in a custom-made collector's slipcase. Princeton University Press hardcover books
19132064Leipzig and Berlin: Teubner 1913. First edition. Original wrappers. Very Good. FIRST EDITION COMMERCIAL OFFPRINT ISSUE of Einstein's breakthrough work on general relativity: the famous "Entwurf" paper. "In this book Einstein and Grossman investigated curved space and curved time as they relate to a theory of gravity. They presented virtually all the elements of the general theory of relativity with the exception of one striking omission: gravitational field equations that were not generally covariant. Einstein soon reconciled himself to this lack of general covariance through the 'hole argument' which sought to establish that generally covariant gravitational field equations would be physically uninteresting. Einstein did not adopt the gravitational field equations until late in 1915 in his final formulations of the general theory. Here Einstein contributed the physics and Grossman the mathematics" Calaprice The Einstein Almanac 40. Weil 59a. Offprint from Zeitschrift für Mathematik und Physik volume 62. Leipzig and Berlin: Teubner 1913. Octavo original wrappers; custom box. Pencil notation on title. Small chips at spine ends. An outstanding copy without any of the cover-foxing so common with this issue. Teubner unknown books
19132139Zürich: Zürcher & Furrer 1913. First edition offprint. Original wrappers. Very Good. EXTREMELY RARE AUTHOR'S OFFPRINT "Überreicht von den Verfassern" IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS OF THE FIRST PRINTING OF EINSTEIN AND GROSSMANN'S FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRITICAL "ENTWURF" THEORY OF 1913. "Einstein returned from Prague to Zurich in the summer of 1912. He had by then already formulated the fundamental physical principles of the general relativity theory of gravitation and was now searching for their mathematical structure. At the E.T.H. the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich where he now returned as professor of theoretical physics Einstein met again his old fiend and former fellow student Marcel Grossmann who was now a professor of mathematics and his colleague. With Grossmann and under his guidance Einstein studied the mathematical literature especially the theory of invariants and the absolute differential calculus of Chirstoffel Ricci Levi-Civita and others. Einstein developed the mathematical structure of his theory jointly with Grossmann and in his celebrated paper on the general theory of relativity in 1916 he acknowledged the help which his friend had given him. It was Grossmann's help which had Einstein said 'spared me not only the study of the relevant mathematical literature but who Grossmann also assisted me in searching for the field equations of gravitation.' This study of mathematical literature and the search for the proper mathematical tools led to several joint papers with Grossmann during Einstein's all too brief stay in Zurich. These papers contained the first attempts toward a generalized theory of relativity using new mathematical tools and gave full expression to Einstein's earlier physical insights" Jagdish The Golden Age of Theoretical Physics. The first of Einstein's papers to present his collaborative work with Grossmann the famous "Entwurf" paper appeared in the summer of 1913; the present paper based on a lecture given on September 9 1913 to the 96th annual meeting of the Swiss Society for Natural Sciences in Frauenfeld provides further details on the new generalized theory of relativity. The published paper contains more mathematics than in the given lecture. Weil 57. OFFPRINT FROM: Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft vol. 58 pp. 284-290 Einstein; pp. 291-297 Grossmann. Zürich: Zürcher & Furrer 1913. Octavo original wrappers; custom box. Mild dampstaining to extreme top outer margin away from the text; crease down the center of issue. SCARCE. Zürcher & Furrer unknown books
1911432921911. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955. Berichtigung zu meiner Arbeit: "Eine neue Bestimmung der Moleküldimensionen." Offprint from Annalen der Physik 34 1911. 591-592pp. 224 x 146 mm. Original printed wrappers a little chipped splint in lower spine. Light toning but very good.</p> <p>First Edition Offprint Issue. Einstein's correction to his formula for the viscosity coefficient = 1 a key equation in his 1905 doctoral thesis in which he had presented a new theoretical method for determining molecular radii and Avogadro's number. In 1910 Jacques Bacelin a pupil of French physicist Jean-Baptiste Perrin obtained experimental results indicating a possible error in Einstein's formula. "That prompted Einstein after an unsuccessful attempt to find an error to ask his student and collaborator Ludwig Hopf to check his calculations and arguments . . . Hopf did find an error in the dissertation namely in the derivatives of some velocity components and obtained for a corrected coefficient 2.5 . . .In early 1911 Einstein submitted his correction for publication and recalculated Avogadro's number. He obtained a value of 6.56 x 1023 per mole a value that is close to those derived from kinetic theory and Planck's black-body radiation theory" Duplantier pp. 216-217. Duplantier "Brownian motion ‘diverse and undulating'" in Einstein 1905-2005: Poincaré Seminar 2005 pp. 201-293. Pais Subtle is the Lord p. 92. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 41.</p> . unknown books
191343305Leipzig & Berlin: Teubner 1913. 38pp. 254 x 170 mm. Original printed wrappers chipped. Library stamps. Very good. First separate edition. "After his first discussions with Grossmann Einstein had found the correct starting point for general relativity. The real work could now begin . . . The Einstein-Grossmann paper published in 1913 contains profound physical insight into the nature of measurement some correct general relativistic equations some faulty reasoning and clumsy notation" Pais Subtle is the Lord p. 216. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 58. Teubner unknown books
1922432871922. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955 and Paul Ehrenfest 1880-1933. Quantentheoretische Bemerkungen zum Experiment von Stern und Gerlach. Offprint from Zeitschrift für Physik 11 1922. 31-34pp. 229 x 155 mm. Original printed self-wrappers. Light toning but fine otherwise. </p> <p>First Edition Offprint Issue. In 1922 the physicists Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach conducted a now-classic experiment in which a beam of silver atoms was streamed through an inharmonious magnetic field in order to observe the atoms' deflection patterns. Rather than a random and continuous distribution as predicted by classical theory the atoms passing through the field were deflected up or down by a specific amount demonstrating that they had intrinsically quantum properties. The Stern-Gerlach experiment corroborated the Bohr-Sommerfeld model of the atom and strongly influenced later developments in 20th century physics. However the experiment also created some serious difficulties for quantum physicists in the period before the rise of the "new" quantum mechanics. </p> <p>Einstein and Ehrenfest addressed one of these difficulties—connected with space quantization—in their joint paper in which </p> <p>"they dealt in particular with the problem of how the orbits of the atom would obtain their discrete directions which they exhibit while passing through the inhomogeneous magnetic field. Under the assumption that the mechanism causing the orientation was provided by the interaction with the radiation field Einstein and Ehrenfest estimated that for a field strength of 10000 G a change in the direction of the orbit would take place in roughly 1011 s; this long time interval would be reduced in the presence of heat radiation at room temperature . . . to about 109 s. How could they asked the experimental situation be explained which implied that the discrete orientations of the orbits in silver atoms were obtained in less than 10-4 s. In order to deal with this evident puzzle Einstein and Ehrenfest proposed two alternatives: first that the silver atoms were always in the states of spatial quantization; second the orientations of the electron orbits arose from an interaction of the atoms with the radiation field which involved much smaller reaction times . . . However they found that both alternatives created considerable difficulties in the understanding of the atomic processes . . . Thus Einstein and Ehrenfest concluded: 'The difficulties mentioned above show how unsatisfactory are both interpretations of the results found by Stern and Gerlach'" Mehra & Rechenberg The Historical Development of Quantum Theory 1 pp. 443-444. </p> <p>Pais Subtle is the Lord p. 328. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 121.</p> . unknown books
1915432951915. <p>Einstein Albert 1879-1955 and Wander Johann de Haas 1878-1960. Notiz zu unserer Arbeit "Experimenteller Nachweis der Ampèreschen Molekularströme." Offprint from Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft 17 1915. 1 sheet p. 420. 228 x 156 mm. Original printed wrappers. Fine copy.</p> <p>First Edition Offprint Issue. In 1915 Einstein and Dutch physicist Wander Johannes de Haas conducted gyromagnetic experiments leading to the discovery of the Einstein-de Haas effect which corresponds to the mechanical rotation induced in a ferromagnetic cylinder suspended inside a coil when an impulse of electric current is sent through the coil. Einstein was very enthusiastic about the experimental results stating that he and de Haas had "given firm proof of the existence of Ampère's molecular currents" quoted in Pais Subtle is the Lord pp. 245-246. Einstein and de Haas published their results in a paper published earlier in 1915 see Weil 73; the present "Notiz" is a response to a communication from American physicist Samuel Jackson Barnett who had begun performing similar experiments in 1909 and obtained results complementing those of Einstein and de Haas. Weil Albert Einstein Bibliography 73n.</p> . unknown books