爱因斯坦童年时期曾往返于德国南部、意大利及瑞士。后来，他毕业于苏黎世联邦理工学院（现称瑞士联邦理工学院，ETH），并在伯尔尼的瑞士联邦专利局工作数年。直至1908年，他才获得伯尔尼大学的初级教职，正式踏足学术界。
1905年被誉为爱因斯坦的“奇迹年”（annus mirabilis），他发表了四篇划时代的论文，分别探讨狭义相对论、光电效应、布朗运动及质能等价原理。 他著名的方程式E = mc²，正是源自狭义相对论的研究。 1915年，当时已定居柏林的他，发表了广义相对论，彻底改变了我们对引力的认知——此理论更被誉为“物理学中最美丽的理论”。 2021年，佳士得以11,656,560欧元拍卖出爱因斯坦—贝索手稿，该手稿记录了他早期对广义相对论的研究过程。
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph letter (a draft, unsigned) to [Henry Usborne], n.p. [9 January 1948]
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Two autograph letters signed ('Einstein' and 'A. Einstein') to Ludwig Hopf, [Prague, after 20 February 1912] and Zurich, 16 August 1912
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph letter signed ('Albert') to Michele Besso, Prague, 26 March [1912]
Michele Besso (1873-1955)
Autograph manuscript calculations and prose drafts on the perihelion of Mercury and the 'Entwurf' theory of general relativity, [June 1913 - 1916]
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
'Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie', in: Annalen der Physik , IV. Folge, volume 49, pp.[769]-822. Leipzig: J.A. Barth, 1916.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Revised galley proof sheets for The Meaning of Relativity in its original German text ( Vier Vorlesungen über Relativitätstheorie ), with a leaf of additional text in typescript, Berlin, 26 January - 7 February and 27 April 1922
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Portrait photograph signed (in full, 'Albert Einstein'), n.p., and 10 October 1930
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript, 'Feldgleichungen' (field equations), a summary of his paper 'Systematic investigations of compatible field equations ...', [April 1931]
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript, 'Naheliegende Modifikation der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie' (An obvious modification of the general theory of relativity), [c.1932-34]
Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961)
Autograph manuscript, 'Zur Auflösung der Gleich[ung] 0 = g ik,l – g sk Δ s il – g is Δ s lk ' (On the solution of the equation 0 = g ik,l – g sk Δ s il – g is Δ s lk ), [spring 1946]
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript, 'Verallgemeinerung der relativistischen Gravitationstheorie II' (A generalisation of the relativistic theory of gravity), [1946]
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Typed letter signed ('A. Einstein') to Richard G. Kieninger, 112 Mercer Street, Princeton, 3 July 1948
阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦 (1879-1955).
亲笔签名手稿 《新旧场论》 签名: 'A. Einstein' [柏林，1929 年 2 月 3 日前] 德文, 14 页, 共12张, 290 x 229 毫米 含两个方程式和一个时空连续统结构图，及在第 4 页和第 5 页背面被删除的两页科学公式。
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955).
Autograph letter signed (‘A. Einstein’) to [Rudi W.] Mandl, [Princeton], 2 June 1936.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Series of 43 autograph letters signed ('Albert Einstein' (4), 'Albert' (23), the later letters with variations on the pet-name 'Johannzel', two letters lacking signature) to his first wife, Mileva Marić, [Zurich, Milan, Mettmenstetten, Melchtal, Winterthur, Schaffhausen and Bern, 16 February 1898 - ?19 September 1903]
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Autograph letter signed ('A. Einstein') to [Wander and Geertruida] de Haas ('Meine lieben De-Haasen!'), n.p. [Berlin], n.d. [before 15 November 1915].
The completion of the general theory of relativity
Berlin, 21 December 1915
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript, n.p., n.d. [early 1940s], draft of a scientific paper on Unified Field Theory.
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
'Über die von der molekularkinetischen Theorie der Wärme geforderte Bewegung von in ruhenden Flüssigkeiten suspendierten Teilchen.' Offprint from: Annalen der Physik , 4th Series, vol. 17. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1905.
God does not play dice
Princeton, 30 November 1949
'The great success of gravitation'
Berlin, 3 January 1916
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph letter signed (with initials, 'A.E.') to Cornelius Lanczos, n.p., 21 March 1942
LORENTZ, Hendrik Antoon (1853-1928)
Large collection of scientific publications by the Dutch Nobel laureate, H.A. Lorentz, from his own private library.
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Autograph scientific manuscript incorporating a draft autograph statement signed (with initials, 'A.E'), 25 December 1925.
Closing in on general relativity
Zurich, March 1914
His 'boldest dreams' of general relativity
Berlin, 10 December 1915
'The universe only exists in one example'
Ahrenshoop (on the German Baltic coast), 20 August 1918
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
‘Ist die Trägheit eines Körpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhängig?’ Offprint from: Annalen der Physik, 4th Series, vol. 18. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1905
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript signed (at conclusion, 'A. Einstein'), 'Einheitliche Feldtheorie von Gravitation und Elektrizität' [Unified Field Theory of Gravitation and Electricity], [Berlin, before 14 June 1928]
An attempt at a new unified theory
Geneva, 28 July 1925
Quantum equations
Zurich, 11 August 1926
Equations for a case in general relativity
Princeton, 14 May 1954
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Photograph signed ('A. Einstein') and inscribed to [A.C.] Robbins, 1951.
Quantum mechanics, field theory and relativity
Berlin, 30 October 1931
A 'dazzling demonstration' of the theory of general relativity
Berlin, 26 July 1920
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Autograph manuscript, section 3 of a paper on unified field theory, 'Spezialisierte Feldgleichungen für ein Feld, das einer Symmetriebedingung genügt' (Specialised field equations for a field satisfying a symmetry condition), n.p., n.d. [before 23 August 1943]
The 16-year-old prodigy
Aarau, 1895
On the nature of time, relativity and quantum theory
Princeton, 10 September 1952
His will and testament
Albert Einstein, May 1934
A dense exposition of unified field theory
Princeton, August 1942
On a mechanical proof for the theory of relativity
Albert Einstein, 1950-1954