Einstein by his favourite photographer - photo 1
Einstein by his favourite photographer - photo 2
Einstein by his favourite photographer - photo 1

Einstein by his favourite photographer

Starting price
£ 20 000
Auction dateClassic
16.07.2020 06:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 370003
Lot 14 | Einstein by his favourite photographer
Albert Einstein (18791-1955).

Portrait photograph by Lotte Jacobi signed ('Albert Einstein') and inscribed in German to the 'Einstein-Klub', n.p. [Berlin], 1928.

Also signed by the photographer below the image 'repr. Jacobi', and stamped on the verso of the mount 'ATELIER JACOBI / Charlottenburg'. The print 215 x 166mm, mount 308 x 256mm (old markings from mount).

An important and strikingly soulful portrait of Einstein, depicting the scientist at the height of his powers. Lotte Jacobi (1896-1990) was arguably Einstein's favourite photographer, photographing him on multiple occasions and responsible for one of the best known images of the scientist, in his Princeton study in 1938, wearing a leather jacket. Like Einstein, Jacobi lived and worked in Berlin before fleeing Nazi Germany for the USA, and this may well be her earliest photograph of him, dating from shortly after she took over her father's Berlin photography studio in 1927. Einstein's wing collar and striped tie are noticeably similar to those in the famous Walter Benington photograph for Elliot & Fry of 18 May 1928 at the National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG x82213). We have traced no other examples of the present image, and given that Jacobi abandoned her photographic archive in Berlin when she fled Germany, this may be the sole surviving example of the original photograph. The 'Einstein Club' to which it is inscribed was presumably some form of fan club – possibly a group of young, scientifically-oriented admirers – reflecting the remarkable degree of popular fame attained by Einstein in the 1920s.
Category:Photograph
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
24.06.2020 – 16.07.2020
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.