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Lot #6048
Albert Einstein Signed Photograph on Santa Barbara Beach (1933)

Einstein on the beach—a stunning portrait signed in 1933

Estimate: $40000+
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Description

Einstein on the beach—a stunning portrait signed in 1933

Remarkable vintage matte-finish 9 x 7 portrait of Einstein dressed in a hat and long coat on a deserted beach in Santa Barbara, California, displayed in its 10.25 x 8.75 mat, signed and inscribed on the mat in fountain pen, "To Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Doheny, Albert Einstein, 19.II.33.” Also signed in the lower right in pencil by the photographer, "Carl Obert, S. Barbara." Handsomely matted and framed to an overall size of 16.75 x 15.75. In fine condition, with a short tear to the top of the original mat.

This is a stunning portrait of Einstein, capturing the genius in a plaintive pose during a 1931 visit to Santa Barbara, where he and his wife Elsa were hosted by Dr. Ludwig Kast. The artist, German-born Carl Obert, was a preeminent photographer of California's south coast from the 1930s into the 1960s. It is a brilliant image, capturing Einstein's position as a singular figure in the history of the 20th century, and his enduring influence in popular culture—it evokes both the important 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass, and the 1994 hit single 'Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)' by Counting Crows.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Remarkable Rarities
  • Dates: #669 - Ended September 23, 2023





This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for $150.00

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.