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Albert Einstein Archive

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
Albert Einstein Archive

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Auction Date:2015 Jan 22 @ 13:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Large archive of well over 1,000 pages related to hydrofoil engineer Wsevolode Grunberg, highlighted by ten letters from Albert Einstein (nine TLSs and one ALS) and one brief ANS. Handwritten letter is one 7 x 4.75 page, signed "A Einstein," Port Chester, New York, [n.d., ca. 1939]. The nine TLSs, which combined total eleven 10.75 x 8.5 pages, are each signed, "A Einstein." Locations include: Princeton, New Jersey; Peconic, New York and Saranac Lake, New York and cover the time period of July 1, 1939 to February 18, 1948. All letters are in German and addressed to Wsevolode Grunberg (also spelled by Einstein "Grunberg" and "Gruenberg") and each is accompanied by an English translation. Letters concern a complex inheritance matter and Einstein’s assistance in Grunberg’s scientific pursuits. Also included is a three word ANS in Einstein's hand on a 6 x 4 sheet, "Einstein Teconic Long Island." In overall very good to fine condition. An interesting 1,000+ page archive of Grunberg's personal papers is present, including some original drawings for his hydrofoil improvements, copies of his patents (including a large dossier of declassified tests performed in the years immediately following WWII), photographs, correspondence, and other related documents and ephemera.

Grunberg, an aeronautical engineer who developed an important design for the hydrofoil ( a lifting surface, or foil, which operates in water) became acquainted with Albert and his second wife Elsa sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Introduced by Grunberg's uncle, a friend of Einstein's from Berlin, he eventually traveled to the United States in 1939 approaching the professor for an introduction to fellow US engineers in order to demonstrate his hydrofoil designs. The two met in June 1939 at the home of Irving Lehman in Port Chester, New York. Einstein's introduction to the NACA resulted in extensive practical tests of Grunberg's designs at Langley, Virginia. However, because he was a foreign national (at the time a French citizen), wartime security rules prohibited him from learning the results until many years following the World War II.

In addition to the American engineering community introduction, Einstein also agreed to handle a complex inheritance matter for Grunberg. On July 1, 1939, the same day he recommended Grunberg to his American associates, he wrote to him about, "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 Grunberg with the inheritance issue, acting as a go-between for Grunberg in the US and Mr. Plesch in France. On August 3, 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, "At this time, another visit with me would not be of much use either, without the necessary confrontation with the other party."

Apparently Grunberg continued to contact Einstein further, in particular regarding a letter concerning the matter that had been lost in the mail. Einstein, normally an 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 complicated matters further.

Despite the annoyances, Einstein did what he could for Grunberg both for his inheritance and his scientific pursuits. On February 2, 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 Grunberg. 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 Grunberg 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.

Additionally present in the archive is a two-page ALS from Elsa Einstein, 8.5 x 5.5, "Haberlandstr[aße] 5," [Berlin], July 20, [n.y. but 1932 or before] in German to "Lieber Herr Grunberg!" and two TLSs by Einstein's secretary in Princeton, New Jersey and Nassau Point, New York, Helene Dukas, 1 page each, 6.25 x 8.5 and 8.5 x 11, Princeton, New Jersey, July 7 and 21, 1939 in German to Grunberg.

Grunberg's personal papers concern his research on his hydrofoil designs which he first developed in France. The archive includes some of Grunberg'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 Grunberg in 1930 for "Verfahren zum Registrieren der Bewegungen und der Steuervorguange, 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 Grunberg's work and designs.