Einstein, Albert. A large archive of material featuring ten letters and a short note by Einstein featuring an autograph letter...

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Jun 11, 2015 for:

$28,125.00 Bid Source: Internet bidder

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Einstein, Albert. A large archive of material featuring ten letters and a short note by Einstein featuring an autograph letter signed. A large archive of material featuring ten letters and a short note by Einstein featuring an autograph letter signed ("A Einstein"), 1 page (4.75 x 7 in.; 121 x 178 mm.), Port Chester, New York, no date (ca. 1939), together with (9) typed letters signed ("A Einstein"), 11 pages total (8.5 x 10.75 in.; 216 x 273 mm.), Princeton, New Jersey; Peconic, New York and Saranac Lake, New York, 1 July 1939 to 18 February 1948, in German, written to Wsevolode Grünberg (also spelled by Einstein "Grunberg" and "Gruenberg"), concerning a complex inheritance matter. Grünberg, who later in life changed his name to Waldemar A. Craig, was an aeronautical engineer who developed an important design for the hydrofoil. The archive also includes a three word note in Einstein's hand on a 4 x 6 in. (102 x 152 mm.) sheet: "Einstein Teconic Long Island" as well as an autograph letter signed by Elsa Einstein, 2 pages (5.5 x 8.5 in.; 140 x 216 mm.), "Haberlandstr[aße] 5", [Berlin], 20 July, no year (1932 or before), in German, to "Lieber Herr Grünberg!" and (2) typed letters signed by Einstein's secretary, Helene Dukas, in Princeton, New Jersey & Nassau Point, New York, 1 page each (6.25 x 8.5 in. & 8.5 x 11 in.; 159 x 216 mm. & 216 x 279 mm.), Princeton, New Jersey, 7 & 21 July 1939, in German, to Grünberg. The letters accompany a large archive of Grünberg's papers, consisting of well over 1,000 pages of material including some of his original drawings for his hydrofoil improvements, copies of his patents (including a large dossier of declassified tests performed in the years immediately following the Second World War), photographs, correspondence, and other related documents and ephemera. Expected mailing folds and creases and some light toning toward margins. Albert Einstein assists a fellow émigré and engineer, who made important contributions to the development of the hydrofoil, by introducing him to members of the U.S. scientific community: an enormous archive of well over 1,000 pages featuring ten signed letters and a handwritten note from Einstein. Grünberg, the nephew of a close friend of Einstein, appears to have become acquainted with Albert and his second wife Elsa sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, if not personally, by correspondence. In an undated letter from Berlin, written sometime before 1932, Elsa Einstein commented to Grünberg, "I am assuming you are just as kind and clever as your uncle, our dear friend. My husband and I were so glad having been able doing this small favor for you. Mr. Dunne wrote a most gracious note to us from Florida. In particular I want to thank you for the delicious grapefruits..." and adding "Feel free to call on me anytime, if you think I could be of help! Please be sure and do." Apparently Grünberg took her advice, and travelling to the United States in 1939 approached Einstein for an introduction to fellow engineers in the U.S. in order to demonstrate his hydrofoil designs. The two met in June 1939 at the home of Irving Lehman in Port Chester, New York. According to a contemporary mimeographed copy of a letter from Einstein to Dr. George W. Lewis, Director of Research for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in Washington, Einstein introduced Gruenberg as "the nephew of a dear friend of mine who died in Berlin several years ago. Mr. Gruenberg has worked in Paris with good success theoretically as well as practically in the field of aeronautics and practical hydrodynamics. He visited me a few weeks ago and discussed several problems in those fields with me. I convinced myself of his ability and experience. I am taking the liberty to address to you this letter knowing that Mr. Gruenberg is not known in this country and has no connection with his American colleagues." Einstein's introduction to the NACA resulted in extensive practical tests of Grünberg's designs at Langley, Virginia. However, because he was a foreign national (at the time he was a French citizen), wartime security rules prohibited him from learning the results until many years following the Second World War. In addition to the introduction to the American engineering community, Einstein also agreed to handle a complex inheritance matter for Grünberg. On 1 July 1939, the same day he recommended Grünberg to his American associates, he wrote to him that he had written, "a most insistent letter to Mr. Plesch in which I suggested to name an arbitrator in the inheritance matter who would be agreeable to you as well as to me and who could personally communicate with Mr. Plesch and yourself." Enclosing the letter to Dr. Lewis, Einstein advised, "I cannot understand though, how you could succeed to find a position here without a valid residence permit. I urge you to carefully investigate this subject prior to making use of the enclosed letter." Einstein continued to assist Grünberg with the inheritance issue, acting as a go-between Grünberg in the U.S. and Mr. Plesch in France. On 3 August, Einstein reported some progress, writing, "Through my intervention, a dear old friend of mine shall be arriving in England in the near future for permanent residence there. He has my fullest confidence, and will also have time on his hands to devote to this matter. He is prepared to do this favor for me and I am certain Mr. Plesch will accept him likewise." At that point, Einstein begged off further involvement and advised that "At this time, another visit with me would not be of much use either, without the necessary confrontation with the other party." Apparently Grünberg continued to contact Einstein further, in particular regarding a letter concerning the matter that had been lost in the mail. Einstein, normally an affable and agreeable correspondent, lashed out: "You don't seem to comprehend that I do have other things to do than to deal with your matters. I am asking you to immediately stop the investigation for the lost letter, since you did receive a copy of it and this situation is causing major complications for me as well as for the Postal Authorities. The letters that you sent to me shall be used by your trustee in England, provided he will still able to get there. In case it should turn out impossible for him to get there (because of impending war) I shall make an effort finding another trustee to take care of the matter. It appears unseemly to involve myself from here with the details of an inheritance, and I therefore see no reason to constantly being bombarded with letters in that connection." The "impending war" broke out only a day later when Germany invaded Poland and, of course, complicated matters further. Despite the annoyances, Einstein did what he could for Grünberg both for his inheritance and his scientific pursuits. On 2 February 1940, Einstein advised him to send details of his invention, "to my friend, Professor Karman at the California Institute of Technology for evaluation and assessment. This man is a first rate expert who has influential connections for practical applications." Apparently Karman was not interested and rebuffed Grünberg. Writing in August 1940, Einstein apologized for his colleague: "I am very sorry that Prof. Karman displayed such an unsatisfactory attitude towards you. Please be assured that this was nothing more than a peculiarity of his; you don't have to be concerned that he would in any way betray your confidence by using your ideas behind your back. He most likely was just not particularly interested in the whole thing." Einstein concluded his letter asking that Grünberg continue to use him as a reference, but the pair did not correspond again until 1944 when the subject of the inheritance once again surfaced. This time Einstein refused to help, noting that the war had been enormously disruptive: "...After all, in the meantime our world fell apart and it is difficult to judge a person's financial obligations from the past." Einstein's involvement in the matter ended at this point, though he did correspond again in 1947 and 1948 noting that he had not heard any news from Mr. Plesch. Grünberg's personal papers concern his research on his hydrofoil designs which he first developed in France. The archive includes some of Grünberg's original drawings demonstrating applications for his design as well as some manuscript calculations in his hand. The archive also includes his original U.S. patent certificates for several inventions including "APPARATUS FOR INSTRUCTING AND TRAINING STUDENT OPERATORS" (No. 2350351, 1944), as well as four patents for watercraft using his hydrofoil design (Nos. 3124096, 1964; 3168067, 1965; 3247821, 1966; and 3232261, 1966). In addition the archive includes a German patent awarded to Grünberg in 1930 for "Verfahren zum Registrieren der Bewegungen und der Steuervorgüange, inbesondrer von Luftfahrzeugen (A method for registering the movements and the control operations, particularly aircraft.)" Also of interest are original photographs, likely from the early 1930s, of his foil design engaged in water tests. His papers include several magazines including Popular Science and others discussing Grünberg's work and designs. Special shipping arrangements will apply.