Surviving Pieces from the Great Choirbook Owned and Commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella
by Ferdinand & Isabella|All Medieval Historical Documents
1482. Other fragments of these are now in collections at the Morgan Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge (MS. 293 a-b), and the Museo Arqueológico in MadridWhen Isabella’s half-brother Henry died in 1474, she asserted her claim to the throne of Castille, which was contested by thirteen-year-old Joanna, who was connected to Portuguese royalty. Joanna sought the aid of her husband (who was also her uncle), Afonso V of Portugal, to claim the throne. This dispute between rival claimants... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
A Rare Medieval Computational Cipher, a Computus Text, Along with a Poetic Device to Aid in Its Use, Employed by a 15th Century Clergyman in the Calculation of Easter
by Theology and Scripture|All Medieval Historical Documents
01/01/1450. Records show only a small number of such mathematical devices having reached the public market The manuscript bears markings of subsequent owners, including a poem from the 16th century to Saint Basil, normally associated with the East[video width=""1920"" height=""1080"" mp4=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204130536/Computus-Youtube-Template-1.mp4""][/video] Prior to 1420, devotional books such as Books of Hours or Breviaries were made to order and reflected the particular interests of the patron. A breviary, usually formatted in a writing block of two columns (as opposed to its single... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Peter Lombard's Sentences: Five 13th Century Leaves from the Textbook for the Divine
by Before 1300|All Medieval Historical Documents
1200. The “Sentences” were the most commented on piece of Christian literature of the era for four centuries, through the Reformation, and were lectured on by Martin Luther himself We found no record of another example of such early commentaries on Lombard using the text of Marchesinus.Often, we have the assumption that the great men of the Middle Ages came from royal families or important lines. The French romances, from which our modern pop culture derives so much, offer stories... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Colorful Airmail Postcard Signed by Pioneer Aviatrix Amelia Earhart in 1928, Commemorating Her Reception in Her Hometown When She Became the First Female Aviator to Fly Across the Atlantic Ocean
by Amelia Earhart
9/7/28. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. She disappeared with navigator Fred Noonan somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in July, 1937 and has been the subject of numerous theories and conspiracies ever since. She was declared... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Red, White and Blue Airmail Cover Signed by Pioneer Aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Commemorating the Tenth National Air Races in 1930
by Amelia Earhart
1/9/30. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. She disappeared with navigator Fred Noonan somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in July, 1937 and has been the subject of numerous theories and conspiracies ever since. She was declared... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Amelia Earhart Writes Trailblazing Photographer and Journalist Margaret Bourke White on the “demonstration of what ability lurks within women”
by Amelia Earhart
31/08/1933. A very rare letter of Earhart lauding what women can accomplish, and showing why she was an inspiration to women everywhereIn her brief life, Amelia Earhart became a record-breaking female aviator whose international fame improved public acceptance of aviation and paved the way for other women in commercial flight. She was also an inspiration to women in all walks of life, and made it possible for women to become involved in fields traditionally reserved for men. On her... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Thomas Edison Announces the Principle By Which He Would Ensure Safe Laying of the Wires Lighting New York City
by Thomas Edison
29/08/1887. He is also close to a method of safely powering his electric generators or dynamos: “Regarding the paper for Dynamos we are trying a set of elaborate experiments, which will be finished next week. So far we find paper should soak 10 days then air dried in closed place and then re-dipped for a moment only and re-dried. Its like glass and spark does not go through.”Thomas Edison propelled the world out of the gaslight era and into... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
A Plaque Dedicated to Thomas Edison on the 50th Anniversary of the Invention of the Light Bulb, Presented by the Edison Pioneers to the Edison Family
by Thomas Edison
1/1/27. The Edison Pioneers was an organization composed of former employees of Thomas Edison who had worked with the inventor in his early years, and founded to keep alive Edison’s ideals and aims. Membership was limited to people who had worked closely with Edison before 1885. On February 11, 1918, the Edison Pioneers met for the first time, on the 71st birthday of Edison. There were 37 people at the first meeting. In time there were 100 members, counting... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Thomas Edison Writes to the Maharaja, Seeking Help in Taking ""Moving Pictures"" in ""your wonderful country""
by Thomas Edison
1/7/11. With the envelope addressed to the Maharajah “I am sending my representative, Mr. James Ricalton, to your wonderful country to obtain a series of moving pictures of interesting subjects. I have thought it may be within the power of your Excellency to assist my photographer in gaining access to subjects… These pictures are now being used widely over the world as an educational factor""Thomas Edison's company, Edison Manufacturing Company, began to focus on expanding its movie market, particularly in... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Thomas Edison Gives Instructions to His Lab For the Production of Resins Used in His Batteries and Phonograph Records
by Thomas Edison
20/01/1927. Thomas Edison and Electricity are almost synonymous. Edison invented many electricity-inspired devices, such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and a forerunner of the movie projector. To create the electricity, he set up the world's first electricity generation plant, and developed a complete electrical distribution system for light and power. These are are just a few of the host of his electricity inventions that laid the basis for the modern electric world. So it is not surprising... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Thomas Edison, Famous for His Wisdom on Failure in Business, Winds Down His Iron Ore Processing Venture, in Which He Lost Two Million Dollars
by Thomas Edison
12/10/1895. The iron ore business was made unprofitable by new ore discoveries at Lake Superior, and cheaper rail shipping rates set by Andrew Carnegie and othersWhen people think of Thomas Edison, they think of his great inventions and the huge industries they created. He made phonographs, movies, founded General Electric to provide light, and so much more. But sometimes the mind of Edison fastened on an idea that, though susceptible to important inventions, did not prove commercially viable.About 1885... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Thomas Edison Signed Photograph Showing Him With His Team in Front of the Edison Laboratory
by Thomas Edison
1920. An oversize photograph of Edison, showing him circa late 1920s, posed with people who are likely his staff, standing in front of a laboratory building. One of the finest signed photos of Edison we have ever had.
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
The Superintendent of Thomas Edison’s First Phonograph Factory is Relieved of His Duties, But Edison Advises Him to Stay on to Assist With Edison’s Ongoing Experiments
by Thomas Edison
05/03/1889. Keller went on to invent the first successful and reliable coin-op phonograph (jukebox) in the United StatesA very uncommon letter concerning Edison’s first phonograph factoryAlbert Keller was the assistant to Ezra Gilliland, Edison's best friend, and the two of them joined Edison at his New York and later lamp factory labs in 1885-1887. After Edison began to develop his wax-cylinder phonograph in 1887, Gilliland and Keller set up a factory to manufacture them with Keller as the superintendent.... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
When Night Turned Into Day: The First Underground Wire to Light a Home in the World, Part of Thomas Edison’s Groundbreaking Test in Menlo Park, and Used to Electrify Edison's Own Home
by Thomas Edison
1880. Acquired by us directly from the descendant of Edison’s chief laboratory machinist John Kruesi, and never before offered for sale; This invention led to the lighting of New York City, the United States, and then globeThe Smithsonian displays an artifact with the same provenance: A lamp used to illuminate Menlo Park on December 31,1879, when Edison introduced his invention to the world. It is currently on in the exhibition Lighting A Revolution at the National Museum of American... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
The Edwardian Era Dawns as the Victorian Era Closes: A Summons to the Coronation of Victoria's Son, Edward VII, Signed by Him as King
by Edward VII
2/6/02. The Edwardian Era lasted from the Queen Victoria's death on January 22, 1901, to King Edward’s VII’s death in 1910. It has often been described as a golden sunlit afternoon -personified by its genial and self-indulgent King, with the cares of world war still not visible on the horizon. The appeal of the Edwardian Era is wide, and the subject of such tributes as Downton Abbey. Wealth was abundant and nearly income tax-free; society was no longer a... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Fleeing the Nazis After Hitler's Rise, Einstein Rushes to Save Two of his Closest Scientific Colleagues
by Albert Einstein
5/5/33. Germany as an island of intellectuals is no longer possible, he writes, blaming the fall of his country and exile of his colleagues on poor education, a vestige of Bismarck ""I am almost collapsing under all my responsibilities."" A glimpse into the tragic end to the scientific flowering of pre-Nazi Germany, along with Einstein's explanation for why it all happened A rare letter from a brief but consequential period in Einstein's life: after he left Germany but before he arrived... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
During the War, Albert Einstein Assists an Old Friend and Relative to Get a Visa to Leave Europe and Immigrate to Mexico
by Albert Einstein
20/12/1941. Brigitte Kaufmann was born in Germany, but when the Nazis came to power in 1933 she fled to Paris. In France, Kaufmann worked as an actress under the name of Brigitte Châtel, and translated documents. She met her future husband, Alfred Alexander-Katz in Paris, and they married in 1939; the following day, her husband was taken to an internment camp. He was given the choice of being interned in a labor camp or joining the Foreign Legion and... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Mere Weeks After Hitler's Rise to Power, Einstein Speaks on the Growing Global Chaos and Threat to Minorities: “The main thing is that minority groups should be allowed security in the community.”
by Albert Einstein
15/02/1933. He revises the typescript of his interview with the War Resisters League, of which he was Honorary Chairman, and calls out William Randolph Hearst and the head of the press and film empire in Germany, who aided Hitler’s rise On philosophy: “The intellect without the emotions is insignificant”; On racism: “The main thing is that minority groups should be allowed security in the community.” They ought to be “accepted with friendliness as equal members” On the press: He criticizes William... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
An Unpublished, Self-Revelatory Poem from Albert Einstein, Showing Humility, Humor, and Self Awareness
by Albert Einstein
In the poem, he apologizes for leaving Von Neumann’s party early and incurring the wrath of his wife, calling himself a “thick skinned fool” and a “clumsy bull” Einstein urges Von Neumann not to be angry, that “regret creeps at the memory”, and that he is filled with dismay This is a real rarity, and is the only poem by Einstein that we have ever carried; it has been in a private collection for a generation[embed]https://vimeo.com/1180595880?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci[/embed] John Von Neumann was a mathematician,... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Albert Einstein, Reaffirming E=MC2, Does Not Think the Radiation Must Power This Process and Is Skeptical that Radium Breakdown is the Source of Power of the Sun and Stars
by Albert Einstein
5/11/19. A remarkable letter before his great fame, referencing and shown to Marie Curie Einstein, who helped free so many from the jaws of Nazism, makes an impassioned plea for a World War I German POW in France, who would escape but later die in the HolocaustIn 1905, while a young patent clerk and physicist in Bern, Switzerland, Albert Einstein obtained his doctorate and published a paper that explained his newly developed Special Theory of Relativity. This unlocked many mysteries... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
In a Detailed and Unpublished Letter on Classical and Quantum Physics, Albert Einstein Issues a Treatise – a Scientific Explanation – Underpinning His Belief That the Universe Cannot Be Random
by Albert Einstein
17/02/1953. In this letter from Einstein to David Bohm, Einstein discusses the importance of connecting a key principle of the relatively new theory of quantum mechanics (the “Born interpretation”) to physical quantities that can be measured in the real world. To him, it is essential that mathematical theories be connected to measurable quantities. In this letter, Einstein’s uneasiness with quantum mechanics is apparent, saying that validation of the seemingly random quantum mechanics “…can only be done on the basis... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Albert Einstein Beautiful Signed Photograph at the Metropolitan Opera, on His Visit to the U.S. in 1930
by Albert Einstein
12/12/30. We obtained this photograph directly from the Guard heirs, and it has never before been offered for saleIn December 1930, Albert Einstein visited America for the second time. It was originally intended as merely a two-month working visit as a research fellow at the California Institute of Technology, but Einstein’s popularity made the trip headline news. After arriving in New York City, Einstein was taken to various places and events, including Chinatown, a lunch with the editors of... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Music Lover Albert Einstein Reaches Out to Aid a Hero of the Holocaust and Old Friend Who Has Just Escaped from Germany, and Who Sought to Obtain a Flute
by Albert Einstein
11/9/41. A generous demonstration by Einstein of his loyalty to friends and belief in the importance of musicDr. Theodor Rosenheim was a physician at the famed Medical University Clinic of the Charité in Germany in the 1880s. He was primarily concerned with the physiology and pathology of the digestive tract. He published an early textbook on the “Pathologie und Therapie der Krankheiten des Verdauungsapparates”. Rosenheim was one of the first in Germany to describe and publish on ulcerative colitis.... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
An Original Address of Albert Einstein Claiming the Moral High Ground in the Battle Against the Nazis
by Albert Einstein
23/05/1935. He prophesizes, however, that the road ahead for the Jews will be “arduous and very painful”The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, was founded in 1930 by educator Abraham Flexner, with funding from department store magnate Louis Bamberger. Flexner first recruited noted mathematicians from Princeton University to join the Institute, then broadened its scope by including established scholars in economics, politics, and humanistic studies. In 1932 Flexner offered Einstein a faculty position at the Institute. Einstein’s... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Albert Einstein, in a Critique of German Christianity's Alliance With the Nazis, Believes That Truly Religious People ""never made evil compromises and are always guided by their conscience""
by Albert Einstein
23/02/1954. An increasingly uncommon letter of Einstein on the role of religions, philosophy, peace, and the dangers of the atomic age (that he helped usher in)Albert Einstein believed that wars stood in the way of human progress, and he was a lifelong pacifist (though he did not believe in pacifism at any price or in all situations). He was also an active promoter of world peace, from the days of World War I right up to his death in... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC