'The unknown always appears in a rosier light' - photo 1

'The unknown always appears in a rosier light'

Lot 23
16.07.2020 06:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 2 600
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 370012
Lot 23 | 'The unknown always appears in a rosier light'
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
Albert Einstein (1879-1955).

Typed letter signed ('A. Einstein') to Lionel M. Ettlinger, 112 Mercer Street, Princeton, 15 February 1945.

In German. One page, 280 x 216mm, blind-stamped address.

'The unknown always appears in a rosier light': on anti-semitism and the low status of intellectuals in America. Einstein expresses his 'sympathy and respect' for the scientific capabilities of Dr [?Wladimir] Lasareff, and would be willing to help him if he still wishes to emigrate to America from Belgium. However he warns of a discouraging outlook for incoming intellectuals after the end of the war because of an oversupply of strong candidates, and 'of course also because strong anti-semitism, which incidentally still seems to be increasing'. Prospects may therefore be better in Europe, in spite of the devastation of the war: 'the unknown always appears in a rosier light than the field of many years of experience; this however an optical illusion'. Ettlinger should warn Lasareff that 'American university professors do not occupy the privileged status in society and in the universities themselves that they have in Europe'; and the system is particularly harsh on newcomers.

According to the Einstein Archives Online, the subject of the letter is Wladimir A. Lasareff. Einstein had already corresponded with Ettlinger as early as 1933 about Lasareff's prospective emigration to the USA.
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.
?>