Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
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Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $20,000
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Sold for: $35,000
Including buyer's premium
Twenty-two letters and three poems, sent by Indian Poet Rabindranath Tagore to the Palestinian traveler Shlomit Frida Flaum. Santiniketan (India) and elsewhere, early 1920s to early 1940s. English (a few items in Bengali).
Shlomit Frieda Flaum, who is considered the first Jewish woman traveler, was born in 1893 in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania, a descendant of Rabbi Shlomo Luria. In 1911, she immigrated to Palestine by herself and for ten years wandered between its various cities, documenting them in her diaries and sketching their sights. In 1921, she decided she wanted to explore overseas countries as well and travelled to the USA. In New York she met the poet Rabindranath Tagore for the first time. After their meeting, she wrote in her diary: "From now on we shall not walk blindly". Tagore showed much interest in Flaum's story, her Jewish nationality and Zionist views, and invited her to visit the Ashram he founded in western Bengal, Santiniketan. A year later, Flaum arrived at Santiniketan, extending her stay for two years. During this period, the most important and influential of her life, Flaum became Tagore's closest student and a strong friendship developed between the two, a friendship that continued until Tagore's death.
Offered is a collection of handwritten and typewritten letters, which Tagore had sent Flaum over the course of about twenty years. In the letters, Tagore refers to Shlomit as "Shanti" (a word that in Hindi means "peace", chosen as an approximate translation of the Hebrew name "Shlomit") and they reflect Tagore's spiritual world, the changes that occurred in the world during this period and his great rapport with Flaum.
The early letters in the collection are mostly handwritten and they often address the time Flaum had stayed in Tagore's Ashram, Santiniketan. In a letter from October 1923, Tagore writes: I have great affection for you and we are all so thankful for your generous contribution […] I doubt very much if your place here will ever be adequately filled". In another letter from the same year, he writes: "You have brought love to the shrine of our ideal […] brought it from across the sea, across difference of race and culture, keeping it fresh and sweet". In other letters from this period, Tagore shows much interest in Palestine and Zionism, thanks Flaum for the books she had sent him on these subjects and even expresses his intention to visit Palestine: "I wish my hurry to the South America engagement had not prevented me from visiting Palestine and forming my association with those of you who are struggling for a great chance" (1925).
The later letters in the collection are mostly typewritten and often address the situation in the world, the war ahead, and Tagore's old age. In a letter from 1938, Tagore writes: "If you have not received any reply to your last letter, blame my age or my Secretary but you have to spare me. Nor should you forget that my poor pen has claims to some rest after its so very faithful service extending over nearly three fourths of an entire century". In an interesting letter from 1936, Tagore addresses the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine at length: "It has pained me very deeply to read of the bloody conflicts between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine. Of course, I was somewhat prepared for it […] we who know of the communal troubles in India, can easily picture the situation – the utter cruelty and senselessness of such mad inter-racial conflicts. And yet where is the way out? Don’t you feel this postwar world of ours is still more gross and brutal than it used to be? We almost seem to be going back to the medieval ages when greatest atrocities were daily being committed in the name of religion and civilization. I despair the future". In one of the last letters in the collection, written after the outbreak of World War II, Tagore writes: "Thank you for your good wishes for the new year. Today we all have one common wish, that this tortured world may be soon reclaimed from the fever of insanity in which it is caught. I tremble to think of the future if the year 1940 ends as it has begun, with slaughter on every side, with history being made in terms only of outrage and violence. It is good to know that Palestine is quieter and that you all are doing well. Give my best wishes to Prof. Einstein and Prof. Geiger, if they are still there".
A number of the letters are written on Tagore's official stationery, with a paper label of his initials mounted on some.
Alongside the letters, the collection includes three handwritten poems (possibly enclosed with the letters or given to Flaum as souvenirs): poem no. 70 from the Fruit-Gathering cycle, with Tagore's handwritten signature; a long two-part poem, handwritten and signed by Tagore (this poem appeared in a letter Tagore had sent the Mahatma Gandhi in 1919, dealing with pacifism); and a long poem (three pages) in Bengali.
Enclosed: a telegram Tagore had sent Flaum in 1928; six letters sent to Flaum by Tagore's son and his wife, Rathindranath and Pratima Tagore; one letter by Tagore's personal secretary (announcing that Tagore fell ill and almost died during the night); five envelopes in which the letters were sent.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
The poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was born in Calcutta to one of the most influential families in Bengal. His father, Debendranath Tagore, a philosopher and religious leader of the Brahmin caste (the priest caste, constituting the upper class of Indian society), spent most his time travelling and away from his children. Tagore and his brothers were raised mostly by servants, absorbing extensive western cultural influences as well as traditional ones (most of the brothers eventually became writers, poets and intellectuals). At the age of 17, Tagore was sent to England to study law and after returning to his country, started publishing poems, plays and stories. His works had a profound impact within his own country; however, he remained unknown around the world until his first book, Gitanjali (Song Offerings), was translated into English. The 103 poems in Gitanjali, all of them translated by Tagore himself, introduced Tagore's work to the West and had a great impact on the literary world. In the introduction he wrote to Gitanjali, poet William Butler Yeats (a Nobel Prize laureate himself) wrote: "These lyrics – which are in the original, my Indians tell me, full of subtlety of rhythm, of untranslatable delicacies of colour, of metrical invention, display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my live long". Following the publishing of the book, Tagore was awarded in 1913 the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Alongside his literary work, Tagore was known for his social-political activity, and especially for his contribution to the Indian Independence Movement, the title of its leader – Mahatma (Great Soul) – being coined by him. After India won its independence, his poem "Jana Gana Mana" was chosen as its official national anthem. Less known were his sympathy for the Zionist Movement, which Tagore believed was "one of the bases of worldwide peace and justice", and his respect for the Jewish People, which he believed were meant to bridge East and West.
The relationship between Tagore and Flaum was documented in two books authored by Flaum: "Wandering Daughter of Israel" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1935) and "Rabindranath Tagore" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1946). Some of the present letters were translated by Flaum and published in the books while some, presumably, have never been published.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
Shlomit Frieda Flaum, who is considered the first Jewish woman traveler, was born in 1893 in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania, a descendant of Rabbi Shlomo Luria. In 1911, she immigrated to Palestine by herself and for ten years wandered between its various cities, documenting them in her diaries and sketching their sights. In 1921, she decided she wanted to explore overseas countries as well and travelled to the USA. In New York she met the poet Rabindranath Tagore for the first time. After their meeting, she wrote in her diary: "From now on we shall not walk blindly". Tagore showed much interest in Flaum's story, her Jewish nationality and Zionist views, and invited her to visit the Ashram he founded in western Bengal, Santiniketan. A year later, Flaum arrived at Santiniketan, extending her stay for two years. During this period, the most important and influential of her life, Flaum became Tagore's closest student and a strong friendship developed between the two, a friendship that continued until Tagore's death.
Offered is a collection of handwritten and typewritten letters, which Tagore had sent Flaum over the course of about twenty years. In the letters, Tagore refers to Shlomit as "Shanti" (a word that in Hindi means "peace", chosen as an approximate translation of the Hebrew name "Shlomit") and they reflect Tagore's spiritual world, the changes that occurred in the world during this period and his great rapport with Flaum.
The early letters in the collection are mostly handwritten and they often address the time Flaum had stayed in Tagore's Ashram, Santiniketan. In a letter from October 1923, Tagore writes: I have great affection for you and we are all so thankful for your generous contribution […] I doubt very much if your place here will ever be adequately filled". In another letter from the same year, he writes: "You have brought love to the shrine of our ideal […] brought it from across the sea, across difference of race and culture, keeping it fresh and sweet". In other letters from this period, Tagore shows much interest in Palestine and Zionism, thanks Flaum for the books she had sent him on these subjects and even expresses his intention to visit Palestine: "I wish my hurry to the South America engagement had not prevented me from visiting Palestine and forming my association with those of you who are struggling for a great chance" (1925).
The later letters in the collection are mostly typewritten and often address the situation in the world, the war ahead, and Tagore's old age. In a letter from 1938, Tagore writes: "If you have not received any reply to your last letter, blame my age or my Secretary but you have to spare me. Nor should you forget that my poor pen has claims to some rest after its so very faithful service extending over nearly three fourths of an entire century". In an interesting letter from 1936, Tagore addresses the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine at length: "It has pained me very deeply to read of the bloody conflicts between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine. Of course, I was somewhat prepared for it […] we who know of the communal troubles in India, can easily picture the situation – the utter cruelty and senselessness of such mad inter-racial conflicts. And yet where is the way out? Don’t you feel this postwar world of ours is still more gross and brutal than it used to be? We almost seem to be going back to the medieval ages when greatest atrocities were daily being committed in the name of religion and civilization. I despair the future". In one of the last letters in the collection, written after the outbreak of World War II, Tagore writes: "Thank you for your good wishes for the new year. Today we all have one common wish, that this tortured world may be soon reclaimed from the fever of insanity in which it is caught. I tremble to think of the future if the year 1940 ends as it has begun, with slaughter on every side, with history being made in terms only of outrage and violence. It is good to know that Palestine is quieter and that you all are doing well. Give my best wishes to Prof. Einstein and Prof. Geiger, if they are still there".
A number of the letters are written on Tagore's official stationery, with a paper label of his initials mounted on some.
Alongside the letters, the collection includes three handwritten poems (possibly enclosed with the letters or given to Flaum as souvenirs): poem no. 70 from the Fruit-Gathering cycle, with Tagore's handwritten signature; a long two-part poem, handwritten and signed by Tagore (this poem appeared in a letter Tagore had sent the Mahatma Gandhi in 1919, dealing with pacifism); and a long poem (three pages) in Bengali.
Enclosed: a telegram Tagore had sent Flaum in 1928; six letters sent to Flaum by Tagore's son and his wife, Rathindranath and Pratima Tagore; one letter by Tagore's personal secretary (announcing that Tagore fell ill and almost died during the night); five envelopes in which the letters were sent.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
The poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was born in Calcutta to one of the most influential families in Bengal. His father, Debendranath Tagore, a philosopher and religious leader of the Brahmin caste (the priest caste, constituting the upper class of Indian society), spent most his time travelling and away from his children. Tagore and his brothers were raised mostly by servants, absorbing extensive western cultural influences as well as traditional ones (most of the brothers eventually became writers, poets and intellectuals). At the age of 17, Tagore was sent to England to study law and after returning to his country, started publishing poems, plays and stories. His works had a profound impact within his own country; however, he remained unknown around the world until his first book, Gitanjali (Song Offerings), was translated into English. The 103 poems in Gitanjali, all of them translated by Tagore himself, introduced Tagore's work to the West and had a great impact on the literary world. In the introduction he wrote to Gitanjali, poet William Butler Yeats (a Nobel Prize laureate himself) wrote: "These lyrics – which are in the original, my Indians tell me, full of subtlety of rhythm, of untranslatable delicacies of colour, of metrical invention, display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my live long". Following the publishing of the book, Tagore was awarded in 1913 the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Alongside his literary work, Tagore was known for his social-political activity, and especially for his contribution to the Indian Independence Movement, the title of its leader – Mahatma (Great Soul) – being coined by him. After India won its independence, his poem "Jana Gana Mana" was chosen as its official national anthem. Less known were his sympathy for the Zionist Movement, which Tagore believed was "one of the bases of worldwide peace and justice", and his respect for the Jewish People, which he believed were meant to bridge East and West.
The relationship between Tagore and Flaum was documented in two books authored by Flaum: "Wandering Daughter of Israel" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1935) and "Rabindranath Tagore" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1946). Some of the present letters were translated by Flaum and published in the books while some, presumably, have never been published.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $1,500
Including buyer's premium
Eleven paper items handwritten by poet Shaul Tchernichovsky: five drafts of tales and nursery rhymes and six letters to Joseph Klausner. St. Petersburg, Heidelberg, Grodno and elsewhere, first half of the 20th century.
1-5. Five drafts, written in large and vowelized script, of tales and nursery rhymes: • "Habat Kol Ha'achronah" – Tchernichovsky's version of the tale about Rashi's father and the precious stone. This version differs slightly from the more familiar versions of the tale (among other things, the source of the stone was changed to a temple in the jungle and the father's ruse was changed to smashing the stone on the cardinal's floor). Ending with a handwritten comment: "I heard this story from my mother, and then it did not occur to me that in the future, I will tell the story to Jewish children in the Land of Israel". • "Haznavno'ah" (The Wagtail) – a nursery rhyme about a bird from the far north (according to a comment on the margins of the draft, the name "Znavno'ah" is based on the Russian name of the wagtail. This name did not catch in Hebrew and was replaced by another – "Nachli'eli"). • "Shirei Bdichuta" – thirteen short poems with word plays. • "Bubati Cholah" (My Doll is Ill) – a nursery rhyme. • "Ha'elah VeHa'alon" (The Pistacia and the Oak) – a tale for children (presumably, one page is missing from this draft).
The name of the weekly "Davar LiYeladim", published in Palestine since 1936, was written on four of the drafts (possibly, the rhymes and tales were published in this weekly).
6-11. Six letters (five of which are written on postcards) sent by Shaul Tchernichovsky to the historian and professor of Hebrew literature Joseph Klausner, 1901-1918. The letters mainly deal with Tchernichovsky's literary work, documenting the tensions and intrigues reigning in the Hebrew literary world in those years: in a letter from 1911, Tchernichovsky protests against his mistreatment by the literary community and recalls how he just happened to hear about the celebrations of Mendele Mocher Seforim's birthday from Achad Ha'am; in a letter from 1917, Tchernichovsky begs Klausner to come to the "Conference in Petrograd" (presumably – the conference of "Agudat Chovevei HaIvrit" during which it was renamed "Tarbut") and confesses that he had sent a new translation of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala to "the publishing house of the Bialik Fund" ("Shtiebel"?); in another letter from 1918, Tchernichovsky refers to the journal "Sfateinu" and to "Zichronot Va'ad Halashon" and suggests sending a list of Hebrew mushroom names.
The letters are written in a most cordial language and their concluding lines show great affection, reflecting the rapport between the two.
The professor of Hebrew literature and historian Joseph Klausner, one of the most important intellectuals of the "Techiya" (revival) period, met Tchernichovsky at a young age and became his lifelong friend. Klausner accompanied Tchernichovsky when he took his first steps as a poet and immediately after Tchernichovsky's first book, "Chezyonot UManginot", was published, wrote a review titled "A Poet by the Grace of God" (Hebrew). Over the years, he assisted in publishing dozens of his poems (mainly in the journal he edited – "Hashilo'ach"), wrote more than twenty comprehensive articles about his works and a shortly after his death, wrote the book: "Shaul Tchernichovsky, the Man and the Poet" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1947).
Shaul Tchernichovsky (1875-1943) – a physician, poet and translators; a pillar of Hebrew poetry. His first book of poems, "Chezyonot UManginot" (first part) was published in 1898 and was considered a milestone in Hebrew literature. Between 1899 and 1906, he studied medicine at the Heidelberg University and after returning to Russia divided his time between medicine and writing poetry. In 1931, he immigrated to Palestine. Some of the most impressive accomplishments of the "Techiya" (revival) period are attributed to Tchernichovsky and his work incorporated European traditions into modern Hebrew literature. Tchernichovsky was also a skilled translator, responsible for some of the most important Hebrew translations, including his translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
Enclosed: Portrait photograph of Shaul Tchernichovsky, hand-signed by him and dated: Tel Aviv, 1935. Divided postcard back.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
1-5. Five drafts, written in large and vowelized script, of tales and nursery rhymes: • "Habat Kol Ha'achronah" – Tchernichovsky's version of the tale about Rashi's father and the precious stone. This version differs slightly from the more familiar versions of the tale (among other things, the source of the stone was changed to a temple in the jungle and the father's ruse was changed to smashing the stone on the cardinal's floor). Ending with a handwritten comment: "I heard this story from my mother, and then it did not occur to me that in the future, I will tell the story to Jewish children in the Land of Israel". • "Haznavno'ah" (The Wagtail) – a nursery rhyme about a bird from the far north (according to a comment on the margins of the draft, the name "Znavno'ah" is based on the Russian name of the wagtail. This name did not catch in Hebrew and was replaced by another – "Nachli'eli"). • "Shirei Bdichuta" – thirteen short poems with word plays. • "Bubati Cholah" (My Doll is Ill) – a nursery rhyme. • "Ha'elah VeHa'alon" (The Pistacia and the Oak) – a tale for children (presumably, one page is missing from this draft).
The name of the weekly "Davar LiYeladim", published in Palestine since 1936, was written on four of the drafts (possibly, the rhymes and tales were published in this weekly).
6-11. Six letters (five of which are written on postcards) sent by Shaul Tchernichovsky to the historian and professor of Hebrew literature Joseph Klausner, 1901-1918. The letters mainly deal with Tchernichovsky's literary work, documenting the tensions and intrigues reigning in the Hebrew literary world in those years: in a letter from 1911, Tchernichovsky protests against his mistreatment by the literary community and recalls how he just happened to hear about the celebrations of Mendele Mocher Seforim's birthday from Achad Ha'am; in a letter from 1917, Tchernichovsky begs Klausner to come to the "Conference in Petrograd" (presumably – the conference of "Agudat Chovevei HaIvrit" during which it was renamed "Tarbut") and confesses that he had sent a new translation of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala to "the publishing house of the Bialik Fund" ("Shtiebel"?); in another letter from 1918, Tchernichovsky refers to the journal "Sfateinu" and to "Zichronot Va'ad Halashon" and suggests sending a list of Hebrew mushroom names.
The letters are written in a most cordial language and their concluding lines show great affection, reflecting the rapport between the two.
The professor of Hebrew literature and historian Joseph Klausner, one of the most important intellectuals of the "Techiya" (revival) period, met Tchernichovsky at a young age and became his lifelong friend. Klausner accompanied Tchernichovsky when he took his first steps as a poet and immediately after Tchernichovsky's first book, "Chezyonot UManginot", was published, wrote a review titled "A Poet by the Grace of God" (Hebrew). Over the years, he assisted in publishing dozens of his poems (mainly in the journal he edited – "Hashilo'ach"), wrote more than twenty comprehensive articles about his works and a shortly after his death, wrote the book: "Shaul Tchernichovsky, the Man and the Poet" (Hebrew. Jerusalem, 1947).
Shaul Tchernichovsky (1875-1943) – a physician, poet and translators; a pillar of Hebrew poetry. His first book of poems, "Chezyonot UManginot" (first part) was published in 1898 and was considered a milestone in Hebrew literature. Between 1899 and 1906, he studied medicine at the Heidelberg University and after returning to Russia divided his time between medicine and writing poetry. In 1931, he immigrated to Palestine. Some of the most impressive accomplishments of the "Techiya" (revival) period are attributed to Tchernichovsky and his work incorporated European traditions into modern Hebrew literature. Tchernichovsky was also a skilled translator, responsible for some of the most important Hebrew translations, including his translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
Enclosed: Portrait photograph of Shaul Tchernichovsky, hand-signed by him and dated: Tel Aviv, 1935. Divided postcard back.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $2,500
Including buyer's premium
Three translations, handwritten by Rachel Bluwstein, of poems by Alexander Pushkin, Anna Akhmatova and Jessie (Yesha) Sampter. [Palestine, ca. 1910s or 1920s].
During her short life, Rachel translated a small number of poems by her favorite poets. These poems, twenty-six all in all, were mostly published after her death, and indicate her literary influences, cultural roots and personal taste. Offered here are three translations handwritten by her: two translations of poems by classic Russian poets and a translation of a poem by a less known poet – Jessie Sampter, who was Rachel's neighbor in Jerusalem and whom she personally knew. The poems:
1. "Do Not Sing to Me, Fair Maiden" (Непой, красавица, примне), a translation of a poem by Alexander Pushkin, dedicated to one of his loves – Anna Olenina (Pushkin wrote this poem in 1828, after hearing Olenina improvising on the piano). Rachel's translation was published in the "Davar" newspaper in 1939; it was later composed by Jaroslav Jakubovič and appeared in Anat Atzmon's album "Laila, Kar VeDmut Alma".
2. "Where, Tall Lady, is your Gypsy Child" (Где, высокая, твой цыганенок…), a translation of a poem by Anna Akhmatova. Originally written in 1914.
One word in the first line is crossed out and corrected.
3. "City in the Heavens", translation of an English poem by Jessie (Yesha) Sampter. An interesting handwritten inscription appears in the upper margin: alongside the poet's name appear three erased names: "Yesha?"; "Jessie"; and "Yesha Samter". This translation also appeared in a letter sent by Rachel when she lived in Jerusalem (during the years 1924-1925) and was presumably written then (see Kedem auction no. 64, item 259).
Rachel Bluwstein Sela (Rachel Ha'meshoreret, 1890-1931), born in the Russian Empire, was one of the leading poets in Modern Hebrew poetry. In 1909, she visited Palestine, was enchanted by the life of the settlements and decided to settle in Rechovot. The house where she lived with her two sisters came to be known as "the three sisters' tower". In 1911, Rachel joined the women's agricultural training program "Havat HaAlamot" on the shores of the Kinneret. At that time she met some of the figures that are most identified with the Second Aliyah: Aharon David Gordon, Berl Katznelson, Zalman Shazar (to whom she dedicated some of her poems) and others. In time she recalled that this was the best time of her life.
In 1914, while visiting her family in Russia, World War I broke out and she was forced to wait until it ended before returning to Palestine. When she finally reached Palestine on the SS Ruslan, she showed the first signs of tuberculosis. At first, she was permitted to live in Kevutzat Deganyah; however, after her health deteriorated, she was asked to leave (the announcement, as she recalled, being: "You are ill and we are healthy. Therefore, you must leave"). In her final years, she moved from city to city in Palestine and finally, giving up her hopes of recovery, moved to a small attic in Tel Aviv, in a house close to the sea, earning a meager living by publishing poems in newspapers. She wrote most of her poems during this time.
After her death, Rachel became one of the most well-known and loved Hebrew poets; many of her poems were composed and recorded and many streets in Israel were named after her.
Three leaves (one written page on every leaf). Size and condition vary. Good-fair overall condition. Horizontal fold lines. Stains and minor creases. Closed and open tears to edges of two leaves (small, not affecting the text).
During her short life, Rachel translated a small number of poems by her favorite poets. These poems, twenty-six all in all, were mostly published after her death, and indicate her literary influences, cultural roots and personal taste. Offered here are three translations handwritten by her: two translations of poems by classic Russian poets and a translation of a poem by a less known poet – Jessie Sampter, who was Rachel's neighbor in Jerusalem and whom she personally knew. The poems:
1. "Do Not Sing to Me, Fair Maiden" (Непой, красавица, примне), a translation of a poem by Alexander Pushkin, dedicated to one of his loves – Anna Olenina (Pushkin wrote this poem in 1828, after hearing Olenina improvising on the piano). Rachel's translation was published in the "Davar" newspaper in 1939; it was later composed by Jaroslav Jakubovič and appeared in Anat Atzmon's album "Laila, Kar VeDmut Alma".
2. "Where, Tall Lady, is your Gypsy Child" (Где, высокая, твой цыганенок…), a translation of a poem by Anna Akhmatova. Originally written in 1914.
One word in the first line is crossed out and corrected.
3. "City in the Heavens", translation of an English poem by Jessie (Yesha) Sampter. An interesting handwritten inscription appears in the upper margin: alongside the poet's name appear three erased names: "Yesha?"; "Jessie"; and "Yesha Samter". This translation also appeared in a letter sent by Rachel when she lived in Jerusalem (during the years 1924-1925) and was presumably written then (see Kedem auction no. 64, item 259).
Rachel Bluwstein Sela (Rachel Ha'meshoreret, 1890-1931), born in the Russian Empire, was one of the leading poets in Modern Hebrew poetry. In 1909, she visited Palestine, was enchanted by the life of the settlements and decided to settle in Rechovot. The house where she lived with her two sisters came to be known as "the three sisters' tower". In 1911, Rachel joined the women's agricultural training program "Havat HaAlamot" on the shores of the Kinneret. At that time she met some of the figures that are most identified with the Second Aliyah: Aharon David Gordon, Berl Katznelson, Zalman Shazar (to whom she dedicated some of her poems) and others. In time she recalled that this was the best time of her life.
In 1914, while visiting her family in Russia, World War I broke out and she was forced to wait until it ended before returning to Palestine. When she finally reached Palestine on the SS Ruslan, she showed the first signs of tuberculosis. At first, she was permitted to live in Kevutzat Deganyah; however, after her health deteriorated, she was asked to leave (the announcement, as she recalled, being: "You are ill and we are healthy. Therefore, you must leave"). In her final years, she moved from city to city in Palestine and finally, giving up her hopes of recovery, moved to a small attic in Tel Aviv, in a house close to the sea, earning a meager living by publishing poems in newspapers. She wrote most of her poems during this time.
After her death, Rachel became one of the most well-known and loved Hebrew poets; many of her poems were composed and recorded and many streets in Israel were named after her.
Three leaves (one written page on every leaf). Size and condition vary. Good-fair overall condition. Horizontal fold lines. Stains and minor creases. Closed and open tears to edges of two leaves (small, not affecting the text).
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $2,250
Including buyer's premium
Twenty-four poems, handwritten by prominent Israeli poets for the book "Zer Shirim LeYocheved Bat-Miriam" [A Wreath of Poems for Yocheved Bat Miriam] – a collection of handwritten poems for her 70th birthday. Poems handwritten by Avraham Halfi, Zelda, Abba Kovner, Yehonatan Gefen and others. Israel, [ca. early 1970s].
The book "Zer Shirim LeYocheved Bat-Miriam" was published in 1971, presumably at the initiative of literary editor and poet Azriel Uchmani, a friend of Bat-Miriam. Several poets who knew Bat-Miriam, practically all of whom were prominent Hebrew poets, were asked to choose a poem they wanted to dedicate to her and copy it in their handwriting for printing. The result was a limited and numbered edition album published by "Sifriyat Poalim".
Offered here are twenty-four poems, copied in large, vowelized script by various poets for the book. The various poems were chosen or written especially for Bat-Miriam, and they properly reflect her position in Hebrew literature: the poem "Yedidut" (Friendship) by Zelda (in an enclosed letter sent by Zelda to Uchmani, she indicates "the great closeness" she feels to Bat-Miriam's poems); the poem "Vekach Hikarti et Panayich" by Abba Kovner, a close friend of the poet; the poem "Makeh Gufo Ahava" by Yair Horowitz; the poem "HaRuach" by Tirtzah Atar; and poems by Avraham Halfi, Yehonatan Gefen, Dan Pagis, T. Karmi, Amir Gilboa, Shimon Halkin and others. One of the poems, a long poem titled "HaYad VeHaMetzach" by Ezra Zussman, was eventually not printed in the book.
The poet Yocheved Bat-Miriam (1901-1980) was born in Keplits, Belarus. At the age of seventeen, she changed her surname, Zhelezniak, to the name of the first female poet in Jewish history – Miriam the Prophet. During the early 1920s, she left to study teaching in Odessa and Moscow and during these years started publishing her first poems in newspapers. In 1927, she moved to Paris and a year later immigrated to Palestine. In Palestine, her poems were deeply appreciated and by the 1940s she became one of the most prominent poets in Modern Hebrew poetry. Her voice ceased to be heard after being informed of the death of her son, Nachum "Zuzik", in the battles of the War of Independence – Bat-Miriam took a vow of silence, dressed only in black and ceased publishing poems (only two poems are known of which she wrote during this period). Despite her silence, in 1964 she was awarded the Bialik Prize and in 1972 – the Israel Prize for Literature. Alongside Rachel, Elisheva and Esther Raab, Bat-Miriam is considered one of the "Four Matriarchs" of Modern Hebrew poetry.
24 poems (some written on multiple pages). Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
Enclosed: an additional copy of the poem "Esrim Shana BaGai" by Dan Pagis; three letters that were sent by the poets to Azriel Uchmani; a greeting card sent by Shimon Halkin to Yocheved Bat-Miriam; the book "Zer Shirim LeYocheved Bat Miriam", Tel Aviv: Sifriyat Poalim, HaKibbutz HaArtzi, 1971.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
The book "Zer Shirim LeYocheved Bat-Miriam" was published in 1971, presumably at the initiative of literary editor and poet Azriel Uchmani, a friend of Bat-Miriam. Several poets who knew Bat-Miriam, practically all of whom were prominent Hebrew poets, were asked to choose a poem they wanted to dedicate to her and copy it in their handwriting for printing. The result was a limited and numbered edition album published by "Sifriyat Poalim".
Offered here are twenty-four poems, copied in large, vowelized script by various poets for the book. The various poems were chosen or written especially for Bat-Miriam, and they properly reflect her position in Hebrew literature: the poem "Yedidut" (Friendship) by Zelda (in an enclosed letter sent by Zelda to Uchmani, she indicates "the great closeness" she feels to Bat-Miriam's poems); the poem "Vekach Hikarti et Panayich" by Abba Kovner, a close friend of the poet; the poem "Makeh Gufo Ahava" by Yair Horowitz; the poem "HaRuach" by Tirtzah Atar; and poems by Avraham Halfi, Yehonatan Gefen, Dan Pagis, T. Karmi, Amir Gilboa, Shimon Halkin and others. One of the poems, a long poem titled "HaYad VeHaMetzach" by Ezra Zussman, was eventually not printed in the book.
The poet Yocheved Bat-Miriam (1901-1980) was born in Keplits, Belarus. At the age of seventeen, she changed her surname, Zhelezniak, to the name of the first female poet in Jewish history – Miriam the Prophet. During the early 1920s, she left to study teaching in Odessa and Moscow and during these years started publishing her first poems in newspapers. In 1927, she moved to Paris and a year later immigrated to Palestine. In Palestine, her poems were deeply appreciated and by the 1940s she became one of the most prominent poets in Modern Hebrew poetry. Her voice ceased to be heard after being informed of the death of her son, Nachum "Zuzik", in the battles of the War of Independence – Bat-Miriam took a vow of silence, dressed only in black and ceased publishing poems (only two poems are known of which she wrote during this period). Despite her silence, in 1964 she was awarded the Bialik Prize and in 1972 – the Israel Prize for Literature. Alongside Rachel, Elisheva and Esther Raab, Bat-Miriam is considered one of the "Four Matriarchs" of Modern Hebrew poetry.
24 poems (some written on multiple pages). Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
Enclosed: an additional copy of the poem "Esrim Shana BaGai" by Dan Pagis; three letters that were sent by the poets to Azriel Uchmani; a greeting card sent by Shimon Halkin to Yocheved Bat-Miriam; the book "Zer Shirim LeYocheved Bat Miriam", Tel Aviv: Sifriyat Poalim, HaKibbutz HaArtzi, 1971.
Provenance: The Uzi Agassi Collection.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $6,000
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Sold for: $25,000
Including buyer's premium
A letter handwritten and signed by Sigmund Freud, to his friend and patient, the philanthropist Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein, who was of Jewish descent. Sent several weeks after his arrival in England, several months after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany. London, June 21, 1938. German.
Sigmund Freud was one of the most slandered thinkers in Nazi Germany, and by 1933 his books were publicly burned. Several days after the annexation of Austria in 1938, Freud's house was looted and his daughter Anna was arrested by the Gestapo. Fortunately, Anton Sauerwald, a senior Nazi officer in charge of Jewish property in Austria, was a big fan of his writings, and helped him and his family escape from Austria. On June 4, 1938, Freud, his wife Martha and his daughter Anna crossed the border to France, proceeding to England where they were greeted with open arms.
The letter is written on official stationery with Freud's new address in London, 39 Elsworthy St., and documents his first days in the city.
The letter starts with a reference to a souvenir presumably given to Freud by Stonborough-Wittgenstein before he left – a new amulet to his collection of antiques: " The amulet has so far proven its worth. The journey was easy, the reception in England was flatteringly pleasant, the weather is surprisingly nice and the house my architect son has chosen for us as a temporary home is comfortable" (Freud was an avid collector of antiques from the Ancient East and from Asia, and before escaping from Vienna took care of transferring the collection to England; an important part of the collection was dedicated to amulets). Later, Freud addresses the personal tragedy the befell Stonborough-Wittgenstein shortly before the writing of the letter – the suicide of her ex-husband. Freud writes with a note of sympathy and concern, and even offers her a short "diagnosis": "It was long on my mind to write to you […] the black-margined letter [obituary] made me act on my intention. Nothing you ever said prepared me for this. I am thinking about melancholy […] I can well imagine in what painful and conflicted mental state the event placed you. Are your circumstances now going to change? Will you remain in Vienna? I would like to ask you much more".
Although throughout the letter Freud avoided explicitly mentioning the situation in Vienna, in one of the lines there is an implicit, venomous and humorous reference to the change that occurred in his country: " The garden and the view in Primrose Hill Park are an ample replacement for Grinzing, where Gauleiter Bürckel would have now become the next-door neighbor" (Freud used to spend his summer vacations in Grinzing, the pastoral suburb of Vienna, alongside many other contemporary German intellectuals; after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany, the new governor and the person in charge of carrying out the Anschluss, Josef Bürckel, moved to live in Grinzing). ?The letter ends with the words: "I hope to hear from you soon, with my deepest sympathy, Freud".
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the founder of psychoanalysis, one of the leading intellectuals and most influential figures of the 20th century. At the age of 17 he was accepted to study medicine at the Vienna University and in the following years published several medical studies in different fields. In 1895, he co-published with his teacher Josef Breuer the book "Studies on Hysteria", in which he described for the first time a method of therapy by means of conversation with the patient, with the patient relating his distress while lying on a couch. Following this book, Freud published a series of groundbreaking studies about humankind's mental life: "Totem and Taboo", "The Interpretation of Dreams", "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" and many other works, which revolutionized the western perception of mind. Freud died in September 1939 after a prolonged struggle with cancer. Due to the intense pain the illness caused him, he asked his personal physician to put an end to his misery, receiving a large dose of Morphine and dying shortly afterwards.
The addressee of this letter, Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1882-1958) was the sister of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the pianist Paul Wittgenstein. In 1905, she married the art collector Gerome Stonborough. She was the subject of portrait painted for her wedding by the artist Gustav Klimt.
After World War I, Stonborough-Wittgenstein was appointed the special representative of the American Relief Program for Austria and served as an advisor in youth institutions. In this capacity she met Freud for the first time. She was analyzed by him over the course of two years and they remained in contact until Freud's death. Her marriage to her husband ended with divorce in 1938. A short time later, only six days before Freud sent this letter, her ex-husband committed suicide.
[1] leaf (two written pages), 23.5 cm. Good condition. Horizontal fold line. Some stains and blemishes, mostly to margins.
Sigmund Freud was one of the most slandered thinkers in Nazi Germany, and by 1933 his books were publicly burned. Several days after the annexation of Austria in 1938, Freud's house was looted and his daughter Anna was arrested by the Gestapo. Fortunately, Anton Sauerwald, a senior Nazi officer in charge of Jewish property in Austria, was a big fan of his writings, and helped him and his family escape from Austria. On June 4, 1938, Freud, his wife Martha and his daughter Anna crossed the border to France, proceeding to England where they were greeted with open arms.
The letter is written on official stationery with Freud's new address in London, 39 Elsworthy St., and documents his first days in the city.
The letter starts with a reference to a souvenir presumably given to Freud by Stonborough-Wittgenstein before he left – a new amulet to his collection of antiques: " The amulet has so far proven its worth. The journey was easy, the reception in England was flatteringly pleasant, the weather is surprisingly nice and the house my architect son has chosen for us as a temporary home is comfortable" (Freud was an avid collector of antiques from the Ancient East and from Asia, and before escaping from Vienna took care of transferring the collection to England; an important part of the collection was dedicated to amulets). Later, Freud addresses the personal tragedy the befell Stonborough-Wittgenstein shortly before the writing of the letter – the suicide of her ex-husband. Freud writes with a note of sympathy and concern, and even offers her a short "diagnosis": "It was long on my mind to write to you […] the black-margined letter [obituary] made me act on my intention. Nothing you ever said prepared me for this. I am thinking about melancholy […] I can well imagine in what painful and conflicted mental state the event placed you. Are your circumstances now going to change? Will you remain in Vienna? I would like to ask you much more".
Although throughout the letter Freud avoided explicitly mentioning the situation in Vienna, in one of the lines there is an implicit, venomous and humorous reference to the change that occurred in his country: " The garden and the view in Primrose Hill Park are an ample replacement for Grinzing, where Gauleiter Bürckel would have now become the next-door neighbor" (Freud used to spend his summer vacations in Grinzing, the pastoral suburb of Vienna, alongside many other contemporary German intellectuals; after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany, the new governor and the person in charge of carrying out the Anschluss, Josef Bürckel, moved to live in Grinzing). ?The letter ends with the words: "I hope to hear from you soon, with my deepest sympathy, Freud".
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the founder of psychoanalysis, one of the leading intellectuals and most influential figures of the 20th century. At the age of 17 he was accepted to study medicine at the Vienna University and in the following years published several medical studies in different fields. In 1895, he co-published with his teacher Josef Breuer the book "Studies on Hysteria", in which he described for the first time a method of therapy by means of conversation with the patient, with the patient relating his distress while lying on a couch. Following this book, Freud published a series of groundbreaking studies about humankind's mental life: "Totem and Taboo", "The Interpretation of Dreams", "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" and many other works, which revolutionized the western perception of mind. Freud died in September 1939 after a prolonged struggle with cancer. Due to the intense pain the illness caused him, he asked his personal physician to put an end to his misery, receiving a large dose of Morphine and dying shortly afterwards.
The addressee of this letter, Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1882-1958) was the sister of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the pianist Paul Wittgenstein. In 1905, she married the art collector Gerome Stonborough. She was the subject of portrait painted for her wedding by the artist Gustav Klimt.
After World War I, Stonborough-Wittgenstein was appointed the special representative of the American Relief Program for Austria and served as an advisor in youth institutions. In this capacity she met Freud for the first time. She was analyzed by him over the course of two years and they remained in contact until Freud's death. Her marriage to her husband ended with divorce in 1938. A short time later, only six days before Freud sent this letter, her ex-husband committed suicide.
[1] leaf (two written pages), 23.5 cm. Good condition. Horizontal fold line. Some stains and blemishes, mostly to margins.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
![A letter handwritten by Albert Einstein to the mathematician Ernst Gabor Straus. Signed "A.S.". [Princeton, USA], J](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale69a-public/139.jpg "A Scientific Letter Handwritten and Signed by Albert Einstein – Sent t")
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $20,000
Estimate: $30,000 - $40,000
Unsold
A letter handwritten by Albert Einstein to the mathematician Ernst Gabor Straus. Signed "A.S.". [Princeton, USA], July 15, 1950. German.
An interesting scientific letter in which Albert Einstein responds to Ernst Gabor Straus' reservations about his work. At the time the letter was written, Einstein was working on the development of the Unified Field Theory (a unified theoretical framework describing the fundamental forces of nature). In the third edition of his famous book "The Meaning of Relativity" (Princeton, 1950), Einstein published an appendix titled "Generalization of Gravitation Theory" in which he tried to introduce a Unified Field Theory which includes the gravitational force and the electromagnetic force; the present letter presumably refers to the claims published in this article.
At the beginning of the letter, Einstein writes: " I am glad that you are vigorously dealing with the question of compatibility. Yet it seems to me that your fears are unjustified. I want to phrase the proof so that your letters will be taken into consideration". Following is a long scientific explanation – the proof Einstein phrased for Straus.
The mathematician Ernst Gabor Straus was Einstein's assistant at the Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies between 1944 and 1948, working with him on the Unified Field Theory and helping him with mathematical models for his ideas. The two wrote three articles together. This letter, indicating the continuous collaboration between the two, provides an interesting peek into the process of their work.
The Jewish-German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is considered by many the greatest physicist of the 20th century. Einstein was attracted to science at a very young age, autonomously proving Pythagoras' theorem at the age of 12. In 1905, Einstein published four groundbreaking articles in the "Physics Annual" (Annalen der Physik). The articles, dealing with the photoelectric effect, the Brownian motion, special relativity and the equivalence of mass and energy, are considered the fundamental building blocks of modern physics (due to their importance, the year is known as "Einstein's Extraordinary Year"). The short popular summary of one of the four articles is the well-known equation E=mc2 (Energy = mass x the speed of light squared), an equation that has become one of the most famous physics equations and the most identified with Einstein and physics in general. In 1915, after approximately ten years of work, Einstein published the General Relativity Theory – a geometric theory about gravitation which transformed the world of physics. General relativity was initially accepted in the scientific world with much skepticism; when it was finally confirmed, it was widely publicized even in the popular press and earned Einstein his world renown. Although many supported Einstein as a Nobel Prize laureate, the awarding of the prize was postponed time and again, due to the doubts of several conservative scientists and the objections of various antisemitic scientists. Eventually, in 1922 he was retroactively awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, not for General Relativity but rather "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".
Einstein dedicated the final thirty years of his life to developing the Unified Field Theory, which was supposed to unify the fundamental forces of nature within a single theoretical framework. Although eventually, he did not succeed in transforming his ideas into a solid theory, his efforts motivated other scholars to search for "a unified theory". His work in this field is one of his most important contributions to the world of science.
Ernst Gabor Straus (1922-1983), a Jewish-German mathematician, especially remembered for his contribution to the development of the Ramsey Theory. Straus was born to a Jewish Zionist family from Munich (his mother, Rachel Straus, was the first female doctor to have been trained at a German university); in 1933, the family escaped to Palestine and after a short study period at the Hebrew University, he immigrated to the USA, concluding his studies at Colombia University. During the years 1944-1948, he was Einstein's assistant and in the years that followed worked with several of the most important contemporary mathematicians (Paul Erdős, Richard Bellman, Lovász László and many others).
[1] leaf, approx. 28 cm. Good condition. Fold lines and creases.
An interesting scientific letter in which Albert Einstein responds to Ernst Gabor Straus' reservations about his work. At the time the letter was written, Einstein was working on the development of the Unified Field Theory (a unified theoretical framework describing the fundamental forces of nature). In the third edition of his famous book "The Meaning of Relativity" (Princeton, 1950), Einstein published an appendix titled "Generalization of Gravitation Theory" in which he tried to introduce a Unified Field Theory which includes the gravitational force and the electromagnetic force; the present letter presumably refers to the claims published in this article.
At the beginning of the letter, Einstein writes: " I am glad that you are vigorously dealing with the question of compatibility. Yet it seems to me that your fears are unjustified. I want to phrase the proof so that your letters will be taken into consideration". Following is a long scientific explanation – the proof Einstein phrased for Straus.
The mathematician Ernst Gabor Straus was Einstein's assistant at the Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies between 1944 and 1948, working with him on the Unified Field Theory and helping him with mathematical models for his ideas. The two wrote three articles together. This letter, indicating the continuous collaboration between the two, provides an interesting peek into the process of their work.
The Jewish-German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is considered by many the greatest physicist of the 20th century. Einstein was attracted to science at a very young age, autonomously proving Pythagoras' theorem at the age of 12. In 1905, Einstein published four groundbreaking articles in the "Physics Annual" (Annalen der Physik). The articles, dealing with the photoelectric effect, the Brownian motion, special relativity and the equivalence of mass and energy, are considered the fundamental building blocks of modern physics (due to their importance, the year is known as "Einstein's Extraordinary Year"). The short popular summary of one of the four articles is the well-known equation E=mc2 (Energy = mass x the speed of light squared), an equation that has become one of the most famous physics equations and the most identified with Einstein and physics in general. In 1915, after approximately ten years of work, Einstein published the General Relativity Theory – a geometric theory about gravitation which transformed the world of physics. General relativity was initially accepted in the scientific world with much skepticism; when it was finally confirmed, it was widely publicized even in the popular press and earned Einstein his world renown. Although many supported Einstein as a Nobel Prize laureate, the awarding of the prize was postponed time and again, due to the doubts of several conservative scientists and the objections of various antisemitic scientists. Eventually, in 1922 he was retroactively awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, not for General Relativity but rather "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".
Einstein dedicated the final thirty years of his life to developing the Unified Field Theory, which was supposed to unify the fundamental forces of nature within a single theoretical framework. Although eventually, he did not succeed in transforming his ideas into a solid theory, his efforts motivated other scholars to search for "a unified theory". His work in this field is one of his most important contributions to the world of science.
Ernst Gabor Straus (1922-1983), a Jewish-German mathematician, especially remembered for his contribution to the development of the Ramsey Theory. Straus was born to a Jewish Zionist family from Munich (his mother, Rachel Straus, was the first female doctor to have been trained at a German university); in 1933, the family escaped to Palestine and after a short study period at the Hebrew University, he immigrated to the USA, concluding his studies at Colombia University. During the years 1944-1948, he was Einstein's assistant and in the years that followed worked with several of the most important contemporary mathematicians (Paul Erdős, Richard Bellman, Lovász László and many others).
[1] leaf, approx. 28 cm. Good condition. Fold lines and creases.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
![Albert Einstein's business card, from the estate of Ernst Mach. [Zurich, ca. early 20th century]. With a scientific sketch on](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale69a-public/140_1.jpg "Albert Einstein's Business Card, from the Estate of Ernst Mach – With")
![Albert Einstein's business card, from the estate of Ernst Mach. [Zurich, ca. early 20th century]. With a scientific sketch on](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale69a-public/140_2.jpg "Albert Einstein's Business Card, from the Estate of Ernst Mach – With")
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Unsold
Albert Einstein's business card, from the estate of Ernst Mach. [Zurich, ca. early 20th century]. With a scientific sketch on verso.
Albert Einstein's business card, which reads "Professor Dr. Albert Einstein / Zurich". On verso of the card is a scientific sketch in pencil (see picture). The card came from the estate of physicist Ernst Mach. Presumably, the sketch was made by Mach or Einstein.
Ernst Mach (1838-1916), an Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher, noted today mostly for his studies on supersonic motion. The Mach Number (the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound) and Mach's Principle (according to which, the inertial forces experienced by a body in nonuniform motion are determined by the quantity and distribution of matter in the universe) are named after him.
Mach's ideas, and especially his objection to absolute space and absolute motion which are the foundations of Newtonian mechanics, had a profound effect on Albert Einstein when he formulated the Theory of Relativity. Einstein became familiar with Mach's work during his studies. A number of letters he sent Mach during the years 1909-1913 indicate his keen interest in Mach's ideas and his appreciation of him (Einstein signed one of these letters with the phrase "Still your student"). During those years, Mach expressed his support of the Theory of Relativity Einstein was then developing. Over the years, their views drifted apart until finally, Mach recanted his support of the Theory of Relativity. Despite their difference of opinion, Einstein continued to see Mach as one the important sources of inspirations in his work and in a letter from 1930 wrote that "Mach is justifiably considered the herald of General Relativity".
For additional information about Mach and Einstein, see "Mach, Einstein, and the Search for Reality", by Gerald Holton. In: Daedalus, volume 97, no. 2 (1968).
4.5X10.5 cm. Good condition. Stains.
Provenance: Ursula Nusser Auction House, Munich, 2019.
Albert Einstein's business card, which reads "Professor Dr. Albert Einstein / Zurich". On verso of the card is a scientific sketch in pencil (see picture). The card came from the estate of physicist Ernst Mach. Presumably, the sketch was made by Mach or Einstein.
Ernst Mach (1838-1916), an Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher, noted today mostly for his studies on supersonic motion. The Mach Number (the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound) and Mach's Principle (according to which, the inertial forces experienced by a body in nonuniform motion are determined by the quantity and distribution of matter in the universe) are named after him.
Mach's ideas, and especially his objection to absolute space and absolute motion which are the foundations of Newtonian mechanics, had a profound effect on Albert Einstein when he formulated the Theory of Relativity. Einstein became familiar with Mach's work during his studies. A number of letters he sent Mach during the years 1909-1913 indicate his keen interest in Mach's ideas and his appreciation of him (Einstein signed one of these letters with the phrase "Still your student"). During those years, Mach expressed his support of the Theory of Relativity Einstein was then developing. Over the years, their views drifted apart until finally, Mach recanted his support of the Theory of Relativity. Despite their difference of opinion, Einstein continued to see Mach as one the important sources of inspirations in his work and in a letter from 1930 wrote that "Mach is justifiably considered the herald of General Relativity".
For additional information about Mach and Einstein, see "Mach, Einstein, and the Search for Reality", by Gerald Holton. In: Daedalus, volume 97, no. 2 (1968).
4.5X10.5 cm. Good condition. Stains.
Provenance: Ursula Nusser Auction House, Munich, 2019.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
Auction 69 - Part I -Rare and Important Items
December 3, 2019
Opening: $5,000
Estimate: $7,000 - $10,000
Unsold
A leaf handwritten by Nobel Prize laureate physicist Richard Feynman – solution of differential equations using the Runge-Kutta methods.
A leaf, showing by means of flow-charts ways to solve differential equations using the Runge-Kutta methods. Possibly, the flow-charts were meant to demonstrate how the solution of differential equations can be reached by means of computer software. The leaf is written mostly in red ink, in neat hand, with several erasures and corrections, and it enables a peek into the work process of a leading physicist of the 20th century.
The physicist Richard Feynman, born in New York, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 and is considered one of the most colorful figures of the scientific world. Feynman was born to a working-class Jewish family in Queens. When he was fifteen, he taught himself trigonometry, advanced algebra, analytic geometry and infinitesimal calculus; as he was not satisfied with the standard mathematical notation, he invented one of his own.
In 1941, when he was working on his doctoral thesis, Feynman was invited to participate in the Manhattan Project and was one of the developers of the atomic bomb. In time, he said about his participation in the project: "I would go along and I would see people building a bridge, or they'd be making a new road, and I thought, they're crazy, they just don't understand, they don't understand. Why are they making new things?" Like Albert Einstein, Feynman gained fame for numerous anecdotes, quotes and amusing stories, and he is one of the most recognized physicists outside the world of science. His sense of humor and rebellious character did not skip the most important event of his life – the ceremony in which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to Quantum Electrodynamics. During the ball held for the Nobel Prize laurates, he offered two of the attending princesses to invent a hand-shaking machine that will save the king the trouble.
Feynman died in 1988 after a long battle with cancer. Alongside his extensive work, Feynman is also remembered for his lectures, widely attended by colleagues and faculty members. His introductory lectures to modern physics were published in a three-volume edition (The Feynman Lectures on Physics), which is used to this day. The numerous anecdotes involving his name were compiled in several books, including Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman (1985) and What Do You Care What Other People Think? (1988); and others.
[1] leaf, written on both its sides, approx. 21 cm. Good condition.
Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, Auction no. 9886 (History of Science & Technology, Including the Nobel Prize and Papers of Richard P. Feynman), 30.11.2018. Lot no. 90.
A leaf, showing by means of flow-charts ways to solve differential equations using the Runge-Kutta methods. Possibly, the flow-charts were meant to demonstrate how the solution of differential equations can be reached by means of computer software. The leaf is written mostly in red ink, in neat hand, with several erasures and corrections, and it enables a peek into the work process of a leading physicist of the 20th century.
The physicist Richard Feynman, born in New York, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 and is considered one of the most colorful figures of the scientific world. Feynman was born to a working-class Jewish family in Queens. When he was fifteen, he taught himself trigonometry, advanced algebra, analytic geometry and infinitesimal calculus; as he was not satisfied with the standard mathematical notation, he invented one of his own.
In 1941, when he was working on his doctoral thesis, Feynman was invited to participate in the Manhattan Project and was one of the developers of the atomic bomb. In time, he said about his participation in the project: "I would go along and I would see people building a bridge, or they'd be making a new road, and I thought, they're crazy, they just don't understand, they don't understand. Why are they making new things?" Like Albert Einstein, Feynman gained fame for numerous anecdotes, quotes and amusing stories, and he is one of the most recognized physicists outside the world of science. His sense of humor and rebellious character did not skip the most important event of his life – the ceremony in which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to Quantum Electrodynamics. During the ball held for the Nobel Prize laurates, he offered two of the attending princesses to invent a hand-shaking machine that will save the king the trouble.
Feynman died in 1988 after a long battle with cancer. Alongside his extensive work, Feynman is also remembered for his lectures, widely attended by colleagues and faculty members. His introductory lectures to modern physics were published in a three-volume edition (The Feynman Lectures on Physics), which is used to this day. The numerous anecdotes involving his name were compiled in several books, including Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman (1985) and What Do You Care What Other People Think? (1988); and others.
[1] leaf, written on both its sides, approx. 21 cm. Good condition.
Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, Auction no. 9886 (History of Science & Technology, Including the Nobel Prize and Papers of Richard P. Feynman), 30.11.2018. Lot no. 90.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and Israel;
Noted Jewish Personalities
Catalogue
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