Albert Einstein stamp (Photo : REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
California-based auction house Profiles in History in California held an auction for Albert Einstein’s 27 letters on Thursday.
The letters, popularly known as Einstein Letters, offer wide array of topics that include a toy engine given by his uncle and how it inspired him to pursue his passion for Science, his son’s geometry class status, thoughts on God, parenting style, his explanation on the connection of theory of relativity and the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Some of letters were written in English, while others were in German language.
Joseph Maddalena, founder of Profiles in History, explained that these 27 letters offered a rare and interesting glimpse on Einstein’s thoughts outside the scientific works. It let the people to see Einstein’s other personality and stories.
All the auction prices of the 27 letters of Einstein ranged from $6,875 to $62,500. Einstein’s letter to his son explaining the connection between theory of relativity and the atomic bombs dropped on Japan was sold for $62,000; the two letters written in 1940s stating his thoughts on God were sold at $28,125 and $34,375 respectively, according to Washington Times. Overall, all Einstein Letters gathered $420,000.
Other historically significant documents auctioned on Thursday were the copy of 13th Amendment to the Constitution and was sold for $187,500. The amendment, which ended the slavery in the U.S., was signed by 125 members of the U.S. Congress in 1865.
Maddalena said that Einstein Letters were one of the most important documents he has managed because it gives the people the chance to see the famous physicist’s life outside his science field work, History in the Headlines reported.
The letters were acquired by private collector, who wished to remain anonymous, over the years and purchased by different individuals.
