First offprint of Einstein’s important paper about electromagnetism, 1916

Albert Einstein: Neue formale Deutung der Maxwellschen Feldgleichungen der Elektrodynamik. [A New Formal Interpretation of Maxwell's Field Equations of Electrodynamics.] Sitzungsbericht der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, VII. Gesamtsitzung vom 3. Februar. Sonderabdruck [Offprint]). Berlin: Verlag der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften (in commission at Georg Reimer [Reichsdruckerei]), 10th February 1916.

Imperial 8vo (25,2:17,2 cm), 6 pages, numbered 184-188 [1]. Letterpress on machine paper, in original publisher’s brochure on orange-coloured stock with black title printing.

First offprint in the original wrappers, of this important paper by Einstein about electromagnetism.

Condition: Wrappers minimally dusty, otherwise very well preserved copy.

Rarity: According to Weil early offprints of Einstein’s papers may also be qualified as original and also highly collectable editions, however they were printed in a certain, but still small print run for commercial use (mainly to sell them to fellow natural scientists): „No doubt, the first appearance in a periodical is the „original edition“, but I have to leave it open for collectors, librarians and others to decide whether these offprints in wrappers, mostly with a printed title on them (especially in the »Sitzungsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften«) are also „original editions“. These offprints are printed from the same setting as the text, but often with new pagination.“ (p. 4). Additionally to offprints like the present, some copies bearing the imprint „Überreicht vom Verfasser“ [Presented by the Author] were printed for the use of the author. ABPC (1973ff.) and APO (1988ff.) record only 2 copies of this edition at auction (2011, 1998).

Reference: Boni-Russ-L. 86; Collected Papers, vol. 6, 27; Schilpp-Shields 97; Weil 79.