TLS in German, signed “A. Einstein,” one page, 8 x 10, Institute for Advanced Study, School of Mathematics letterhead, June 1, 1937. Letter to Professor Gordon Allport at Harvard University. In full (translated): “A former colleague of mine from the Swiss Patent Office writes to me regarding the archeologist Dr. Werner Wolff, who is working on the deciphering of the Maya script and who presently is in Paris as a refugee. Do you believe it would be possible to give this man a field of activity in the United States?” In fine condition, with intersecting mailing folds.
Einstein was already a prominent German scientist when, in 1933, he fled Germany following the Nazi’s rise to power and being marked for assassination as an enemy of the Third Reich. Emigrating to the United States in 1935, he used his influence and financial resources to obtain visas for other refugees. Though he was unable to help all those who reached out to him, Wolff was fortunate enough to have garnered Einstein’s support and this inquiry “to give this man a field of activity in the United States.” Wolff’s study of Easter Island resulted in the 1948 book Island of Death, considered one of the most comprehensive works on the Polynesian island. Interestingly, his reference here to the Swiss Patent Office represents the seven years in which Einstein worked in Bern, evenly dividing his time between work, scientific investigation, and sleep. It was such research that ultimately produced much of his remarkable work. A nice association between two well-known researchers and the job that propelled Einstein toward greatness. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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