Issac Newton
Two Highly Important Documents Relating to Newton's Historical Researches
D ating to circa 1670, this collection of highly important documents grants a rare window into the research practices of Isaac Newton, the English physicist and mathematician whose work proved instrumental to the scientific revolution.
The manuscript offered here consists of Newton's notes and transcriptions from ancient historical and geographical sources, which he apparently used to inform at least two of his three writings: Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John and his unpublished opus, The History of the Church. Today, nearly all Newton manuscripts are in institutions; these pages are a rare exception, offering collectors an opportunity to secure one of the few manuscripts remaining in private hands.
Also included in this offering is a contemporary manuscript copy of Newton's "A Short Chronicle from the first memory of things in Europe to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great", circa 1720. Thought to have belonged to the antiquary Maurice Johnson, it is very possible that this presentation copy was from Newton himself. Only five copies of the "Short Chronicle", including the one here, are known to exist.
Charles Darwin
Ernst Mayr's First Edition Copy of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species
"T he publication of the Origin of Species ushered in a new era in our thinking about the nature of man," wrote celebrated evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr. Often deemed the "Darwin of the 20th century," Mayr devoted his life to continuing Darwin's work. Mayr's first book, Systemics and the Origin of Species (1942) successfully resolves questions Darwin left unanswered in On the Origin of Species, including those relating to how and why species exist; Mayr further refined his theories in Animal Species and Evolution (1963). Besides being the recipient of numerous awards, Mayr remains highly regarded for the practicality of his biological species concept.
This copy of Darwin's On the Origin of Species was Mayr's own, which he presumably relied on for his own research. The book is one of 1,250 first edition copies, and one of the 58 which Darwin's publisher distributed for review, promotion and presentation. Given the remarkable and important associations, this copy is among the most coveted at market.
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Eunice Newton Foote
A First Printing of the True First Discovery of "Greenhouse Gases"
H istory has a way of diminishing women's accomplishments – and vital work from brilliant climate scientist Eunice Newton Foote proved no exception. In 1856, Foote's discovery of Greenhouse gases – in which she specifies that carbon dioxide is the worst of said gases, and "an atmosphere of that gas would give to our Earth a high temperature" – was published in The American Journal of Science and Arts, Second Series. This was a full forty years before Svante Arrhenius published his findings on Greenhouse gases – though Arrhenius continues to be credited with the initial discovery, and was awarded the 1903 Nobel prize in chemistry.
Born in 1819, Foote was denied many of the same opportunities as her male contemporaries. From 1836-38 Foote attended the Troy Female Seminary, where she was allowed to take science courses as a nearby men's college. With this foundational education in chemistry and biology, Foote nonetheless built a career conducting highly important research on the interaction between the sun's rays and various gases.
This first printing of Foote's seminal "Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun's Rays", from 1856, is a salient testament to women's contributions to science.
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
A First Edition of Henrietta Swan Leavitt's 1777 Variables in the Magellanic Clouds
I n the view of Edwin Hubble, the seminal American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt deserved a Nobel Prize for her discovery of Leavitt's Law (Hubble deserved his own Nobel Prize, but that's another story). The Prize committee did consider Leavitt in 1925, but soon learn that she had died.
Leavitt graduated from Radcliffe College in 1892 and took a position as a female "computer" at the Harvard College Observatory. In the early 1900s, Leavitt was tasked with studying stars of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, as recorded in plates. Through this work, Leavitt discovered that some stars display a consistency of brightness despite their location – making them ideal marker points for measuring astronomical distances. This discovery would prove groundbreaking for the field of astronomy – in fact, Leavitt's Law allowed Hubble to realize that the universe is expanding.
Leavitt's highly important discovery was published in 1777 variables in Magellanic Clouds, seen above. This is the first and only edition of the publication.
Albert Einstein
An Exceptional Signed Photograph of Einstein at a Chalkboard
G erman-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein made significant contributions to the development and philosophy of modern science over the course of his career. In this photograph, one of the most famous of the 20th century, Einstein is captured posing beside his favorite equation. While the photograph is widely recognizable, this is the only known copy to bear Einstein's inscription:"A. EINSTEIN./1933" appears in the middle right of the 8 x 10 inch print.
While the photograph is widely recognizable, this is the only known copy to bear Einstein's inscription.
This photograph was taken in 1931, when Einstein was invited to give a lecture at Cal Tech's Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena, CA. No transcript of the lecture exists, and it's unclear why Einstein wrote the equation for a vanishing Ricci Curvature Tensor, Rik = 0, on the blackboard. Intriguingly, Einstein follows the equation with a question mark.
Autograph Letter Signed "Albert" to Michelle Besso
Einstein addressed this remarkable letter to his dear friend and scientific collaborator, Michele Besso, in April 1917. Besides bearing Einstein's inscription, the letter is quite famous for its contents relating to Dr. Friedrich Adler, a journalist and politician who assassinated the Austrian minister-president Karl von Stürgkh in 1916. At the time of this writing, Alder was awaiting a sentence of death. Einstein, being one of Alder's close friends, here authorizes Besso to use his name and influence to plead for Alder's life. Alder's sentence was indeed commuted to 18 months in prison, largely due to pleas from well-known supporters, including Einstein.
In addition, this letter is important for its reference to "a little thing", Einstein's modest reference to one of his lesser-known insights: the Sommerfeld-Epstein formulation of quantum theory. While the theory is not as famous as some of Einstein's other discoveries, it still constituted a monumental breakthrough in our understanding of the limitations of quantum theory when applied to a mechanical system.
Einstein Proclaims the Success of His Unified Field Theory
"I found the mathematical correlation of gravitation and electricity."
I n this letter from 1932, Einstein tells his sister, Maja, of his recent work on The Unified Field Theory of Gravity and Electricity. Presenting a new formula on the nature of the fifth dimension, the theory and work is considered one of Einstein's most significant scientific achievements.
Einstein also comments on the rising political and social tensions in his home country, writing that "life in Germany is becoming ever more problematic," and telling his sister that he is reading a history of the Jews, which he finds "as horrible as it is mysterious."
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Stephen Hawking
Collection of Typed Signed Letters from Stephen Hawking to Lewis. H. Strauss
D ating from 1977 and 1978, this collection of signed letters and book from Stephen Hawking to Lewis H. Strauss offers supremely rare examples of Hawking's inscription. Hawking, a storied theoretical physicist and cosmologist, lost the ability to write altogether not long after signing the present items. Inscribed material in his own hand is virtually unknown in the trade.
Entitled General Relativity. An Einstein Centenary Survey, the featured book was co-edited by Hawking and published in 1979. Inside, Hawking signed: "For Lewis, from Stephen". Strauss was the son of Lewis L. Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and endower of the Albert Einstein Award, which Hawking received in 1978. Following his father's death, Strauss carried out the administration of the award. In the five letters (of which two bear Hawking's signature), Hawking discusses the Einstein Award, making suggestions on where the award dinner should be held and who should be considered for the award in the future.
Richard P. Feynman
A Double Inscribed, First Edition Copy of Richard P. Feynman's Acclaimed Memoir
F or Christmas 1984, theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman gifted his longtime secretary, Helen Tuck, an outstanding presentation copy of his memoir. Entitled "Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman". Adventures of a Curious Character, the memoir was published the following year. On the half title page, the copy bears two inscriptions: one from Feynman himself, and the other from his colleague, theoretical Physicist John Henry Schwarz.
"To Helen, Merry Christmas. John Schwarz," reads the first inscription. And:
"1984. He beat me to it! To my good friend (and sec'y). Richard Feynman."
Feynman, who won the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics for his fundamental work in Quantum Electrodynamics (sold in these rooms in 2018 for $975,000) rarely signed his books, reportedly telling his editor: "I'm not going to go on TV and I'm not going to sign any books!" As such, signed copies such as this are quite rare – that this edition is in excellent condition only adds to the appeal.
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