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Lot 470
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Halsman Original Photostat of Einstein, Unique and Direct from Original Print
Halsman Original Photostat of Einstein, Unique and Direct from Original Print
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Description:

Philippe Halsman
n.p., n.d.
Halsman Original Photostat of Einstein, Unique and Direct from Original Print
Photograph
An iconic image by Philippe Halsman, his close-up portrait of Albert Einstein from 1947 and one of the most recognizable of the century, measuring 6.5" x 8.25". This photostat was included in the textbooks for the courses he, and other acclaimed photographers, taught at the Famous Photographers School in the 1960s. On the verso are details about the production technique which Halsman used in creating the image, such as lens, film, and lighting. This photostat is also noted as included in Lesson 1 of the textbook. Because photostat prints were produced directly from the originals and the image is actually in the emulsion, they are as worthy as originals. Slight damage at top margin, otherwise very good.

In his book "Philippe Halsman: A Retrospective" he explained the circumstances of the photo: "I admired Albert Einstein more than anyone I ever photographed, not only as the genius who single-handedly had changed the foundation of modern physics but even more as a rare and idealistic human being. Personally, I owed him an immense debt of gratitude. After the fall of France, it was through his personal intervention that my name was added to the list of artists and scientists who, in danger of being captured by the Nazis, were given emergency visas to the United States. After my miraculous rescue I went to Princeton to thank Einstein, and I remember vividly my first impression. Instead of a frail scientist I saw a deep-chested man with a resonant voice and a hearty laugh…The question of how to capture the essence of such a man in a portrait filled me with apprehension. Finally, in 1947, I had the courage to bring on one of my visits my Halsman camera and a few floodlights. After tea, I asked for permission to set up my lights in Einstein's study. The professor sat down and started peacefully working on his mathematical calculations. I took a few pictures. Ordinarily, Einstein did not like photographers, whom he called 'Lichtaffen' (light monkeys). But he cooperated because I was his guest and, after all, he had helped save me. Suddenly looking into my camera, he started talking. He spoke about his despair that his formula E=mc2 and his letter to President Roosevelt had made the atomic bomb possible, that his scientific search had resulted in the death of so many human beings…With my entire being I felt how much this infinitely good and compassionate man was suffering from the knowledge that he had helped to put in the hands of politicians a monstrous weapon of devastation and death. He grew silent. His eyes had a look of immense sadness. There was a question and a reproach in them.

The spell of this moment almost paralyzed me. Then, with an effort, I released the shutter of my camera. Einstein looked up, and I asked him, 'So you don't believe that there will ever be peace? 'No,' he answered. 'As long as there will be man there will be wars.'

This photograph comes directly from the archive of the Famous Photographers School, founded in 1961 and directed by renowned photographer Victor Keppler. It gathered as faculty the ten most famous American photographers of its time: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Alfred Eisenstadt, Bert Stern, Richard Beattie, Philippe Halsman, Arthur d'Arazien, Joseph Costa, Ezra Stoller, Harry Garfield and others. Margaret Bourke-White served as faculty advisor.

Each photographer created works exclusively for the school textbooks, as well as illustrating the lessons with some of their most famous photographs. Most of the prints we offer here are stamped with page numbers corresponding to their placement in the books. Some even include detailed handwritten notations giving details on techniques. These prints were kept in file drawers following the dissolution of the school in the mid-seventies.

The images we offer here come directly from the photographers' studios. These works are the actual prints used to create iconic images featured in issues of LIFE, Time, Vogue, and so many other publications, and created long before limited-edition portfolios with signed examples of the photographers' works were offered widely. The Famous Photographers School Archive was purchased by a Connecticut photography expert. While much of it was then acquired by the Yale University Art Gallery in 2016, the original purchaser retained a small collection, which are now offered by University Archives.

Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was a Latvian-born Jewish photographer who was one of the countless great artists who emigrated to the United States in 1940, with the help of Albert Einstein. For the next 30 years he produced some of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century, including 101 covers for LIFE magazine. He also enjoyed a 37-year collaboration with Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. In the early 1950s, Halsman began to ask his subjects to jump for his camera at the conclusion of each sitting - the most famous of which may be Marilyn Monroe. These uniquely witty and energetic images have become an important part of his photographic legacy.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 6.5" x 8.25"
  • Medium: Photograph

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