Description:

Albert Einstein Signs a Wax Mold Head Casted off his Face "From Life"

A rare life-size wax mold of Albert Einstein's head. Commissioned by Albert Einstein personally, to be created by Katherine Stubergh (the legendary wax sculptress of the stars) after he came to America in 1947. This amazing work was done as a “Live Blast” which means that Mr. Einstein actually sat with Stubergh in her studio as she took a mold casting off of his face and created this exact detailed work of art inclusive of live human hair. Einstein inscribed and signed (though parts are very difficult to make out) the piece on the back of the head along the nape of the neck just under the real hair (which may be his though we have no way to know) with "Katherine, Much Thanks, Albert Einstein".

This original piece of Wax history was kept by Stubergh for her personal collection, only later to be sold to Mr. Herbert A. Moore, Owner of the Mammoth Cave City Wax Museum, where it was then displayed for fifty years in Kentucky before it closed. Accompanied by the original signed document from Herbert A. Moore certifying the provenance of the Einstein wax head along with how he acquired it from Katherine Stubergh, explaining that Stubergh-Keller sold the Einstein wax sculpture to him when raising funds to establish the National Presidents Museum in the Dakotas. The Cave City Wax Museum, that housed and displayed Einstein for the past half century, closed in 2012, with the contents sold. According to this article we foundhttp://www.greatestcollectibles.com/albert-einstein-wax/#.WzoEixJKhp9In May of 2012, nearly all of the wax figures from the Cave City museum were sold with an online live auction in Ohio, with Einstein's signed head selling for over $111,000!

What makes this piece exceptional aside from Einstein's scarce autograph, is that it was literally peeled off his face. It can't ever be replicated, it is a complete one-of-a-kind. Accompanied with fantastic provenance!

See additional scans for a look at this wax figure's past life!

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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March 3, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000