“Eine neue Bestimmung der Molekueldimensionen” (pp. 289-306) and “Zur Theorie der Brownschen Bewegung” (pp. 371-381) in Annalen der Physik 4th series, vol. 19, no. 2.. Leipzig, 1906

First journal edition of Einstein’s doctoral thesis, revised, and first edition of his second paper on Brownian motion. Signed and dated 1950 by Einstein on p. 289 at the beginning of his thesis.

$45,000

Experiments and Observations in Soaring Flight. Offprint from: Journal of the Western Society of Engineers 8 [misprinted “III” on front wrapper], no. 4 (August, 1903). [Chicago], [1903]

FIRST EDITION, offprint issue. Presentation copy with the stamp of the Wrights’ advisor, mentor, and chief promoter, aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. Chanute was the most important figure in aviation from 1890 to 1910

$44,000

Principes du Droit Politique [Du Contract Social]. Amsterdam: Michel Rey, 1762

FIRST EDITION, type B, the definitive authorized version. Observing in his opening words that “man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains,” Rousseau offered this work as a yardstick with which to judge existing governments. He argued that the central problem is to “find a form of association which can defend and protect with all the power of the community the person and possessions of each associate, and by which each person unites himself with all, but only obeys himself and thereby remains as free as before.”

$42,000

Ulysses. Paris: Shakespeare and Company, 1922

FIRST EDITION. This is one of 750 numbered copies (from an edition of 1000) of the most sought-after book of 20th-century literature.

$35,000

Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hartford: American Publishing, 1876

$35,000

Tales. London: Wiley and Putnam, 1845

FIRST EDITION, ENGLISH ISSUE with the cancel London title page. This is an excellent copy of one of the rarest forms of Poe’s tales, issued in the original cloth from the American sheets with a London title page.

$35,000

Tragediae Septem cum commentariis. (Edited by Aldus Manutius and John Gregoropoulos). Venice: Aldus Manutius, August, 1502

Editio princeps of the seven surviving complete plays of Sophocles, the greatest of the Greek tragedians. This volume contains the first printing of Oedipus Rex, generally considered the greatest Greek tragedy.

$28,000

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade). New York: Webster, 1885

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION in the publisher’s deluxe binding. This copy has the rare first state of the illustration on p. 283, as well as the other earliest points described in BAL.

$27,500

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its influence on General Virtue and Happiness. London: Robinson, 1793

FIRST EDITION. In Political Justice, his most famous work, Godwin responds to Burke’s attacks on the French Revolution and Thomas Paine. He applies the principles of the Revolution to inquire into the philosophical basis of government. Believing that political and social institutions are tyrannical and corrupt, Godwin calls for reason to guide human affairs and advocates individual liberty.

$25,000

Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854

$17,500