Berlin, 10 December 1915

Name: His 'boldest dreams' of general relativity
Brand: Berlin, 10 December 1915
Price: 85000.00 USD
Availability: SoldOut

Price Realised USD 106,250

Estimate

USD 20,000 - USD 30,000

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

Loading details

Try our

His 'boldest dreams' of general relativity

Berlin, 10 December 1915

Price Realised USD 106,250

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

Price Realised USD 106,250

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

Details Lot Essay Related Articles More from

Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Autograph correspondence card signed (‘Albert’) to Michele Besso (‘Lieber Michele’), [postmarked Berlin, 10 December [1915]].

1½ pages, 140 x 91mm.

Please note this lot is the property of a private consignor.

Published in Pierre Speziali (ed.) Albert Einstein. Michele Besso. Correspondance 1903-1955. Paris: Hermann, 1972. No. 12.1

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie's eCommerce SA

Brought to you by

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

Lot Essay

The triumph of general relativity: in four magisterial papers submitted to the Prussian Academy of Sciences between 4 and 25 November, Einstein had set out the key elements of the general theory of relativity. In this postcard to his closest friend, he rejoices in his theory's success: 'I sent you the papers today. The boldest dreams have now been fulfilled. covariance. The perihelion movement of Mercury wonderfully exact. The latter is completely secure from an astronomical standpoint, for Newcomb's mass determinations of the inner planets are from (not constant) perturbations. This time the nearest way was the right one but Grossman and I believed that the conservation laws were not fulfilled, and that Newton's law did not result in the first approximation. You will be surprised by the appearance of the g ... g's'.

The postcard opens with news of an intended journey to Switzerland, now that he has been assured that his eldest son, Hans Albert, wishes to spend time with him. Einstein signs off the letter 'greetings ... from your / happy but rather worn out / Albert' ('Grüssen ... von Deinen / zufriedenen aber ziemlich kaputen / Albert').