Exceptional Einstein signed portrait, inscribed with equations to his U.S. violin specialist
Vintage photograph signed and inscribed “Mr. F. M. Brown, Albert Einstein”, with autograph mathematical equations.
Vintage gelatin silver photograph (216 x 165 mm). Photographer’s credit stamp "Keystone View Co. Inc., New York" (extremely light) to verso.
€ 58.000,00
An exceptional vintage portrait showing Einstein, pipe in mouth, standing on the deck of the Dutch steamship SS Rotterdam on his arrival in New York from Europe in April 1921. Captured at the height of his worldwide fame on his first U.S. visit, the image recalls the public reception that accompanied the transatlantic voyage, undertaken in part to support the Hebrew University project in Jerusalem.
Signed and inscribed in fountain pen at upper left. Unusually, Einstein has filled the opposite corner with six lines of autograph mathematical equations, transforming a celebrity portrait into a personal scientific memento. The recipient, Faris M. Brown, was a California violin dealer whom Einstein met during his Caltech visiting professorships of 1931-33.
Einstein was himself a dedicated and passionate amateur violinist. His mother arranged for him to take lessons from the age of six, and he would continue to play the violin throughout most of his life, often drawing scientific inspiration from a few minutes of practice. While in Pasadena during his visits to Caltech, Einstein played with Artur Rodzinski, the L.A. Philharmonic’s conductor. His instrument, which he affectionately named "Lina" (short for "Violina"), survives and recently commanded £860,000 at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Gloucester.
Signed photographs of Einstein are scarce in any form, and examples further augmented by autograph equations remain a notable rarity.
Inscribed to Faris McDonald Brown (1901-1961), a Los Angeles-based violin dealer long with the Rudolph Wurlitzer company who worked with such artists als Fritz Kreisler, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Mischa Elman.
Some light age wear; minor corner creases, short closed tear to the left blank border. Very minor traces of former mounting to the edges of the verso.
