Lot 430

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

Albert Einstein TLS Addressed to Freudian Psychoanalyst & Recent U.S. Émigré

A 1p typed letter in German signed by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), as "A. Einstein" at center. May 31, 1938. [Princeton, New Jersey]. On a single leaf of watermarked paper with Einstein's blind-stamped address on the letterhead as, "A. Einstein, / 112, Mercer Street. / Princeton, / New Jersey, U.S.A." A pencil inscription verso is comprised of five lines of apparent measurements and is just barely visible from the recto. Expected wear including light, even toning and flattened transmittal folds, else near fine with crisp edges. 8.375" x 11."

Einstein wrote this brief letter to Dr. Emil Oberholzer (1883-1958), the well-known Freudian psychoanalyst, proposing an afternoon meeting time for the following Saturday.

During this Saturday meeting, Einstein and Dr. Oberholzer may have discussed their common experiences and mutual interests, such as the fact that both were born in Germany but studied and worked in Switzerland (after Einstein acquired Swiss citizenship in 1901, he obtained his doctorate in Zurich and was later employed at a patent office in Bern, while Dr. Oberholzer trained in Zurich and worked at a mental institution in Schaffhausen.) Like Einstein, Dr. Oberholzer had also fled to the United States to escape Nazi persecution against Jews; though he himself was not Jewish, the psychiatrist's wife and son were. Einstein had lived in the United States continuously since June 1935, and filed his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen in January 1936. Dr. Oberholzer and his family had emigrated to the United States just two months previously, on March 25, 1938.

We cannot know for sure what Einstein and Dr. Oberholzer may have discussed, but their conversation may have ventured into the fields of psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Einstein held mixed opinions about these areas of study. He had met Dr. Oberholzer's mentor, Sigmund Freud, just once in 1927, and thereafter Einstein and Freud corresponded, finding common ground in their pursuit of "truth" in all its forms. Yet outside of abstract conceptualization, Einstein's views were more skeptical and informed by the experiences of his youngest son, Eduard "Tete" Einstein (1910-1965), diagnosed with debilitating schizophrenia in 1931. Einstein was not entirely convinced of the efficacy or benefits of some of his son's psychiatric treatments. Much later, in the 1950s, Eduard would later be admitted to the psychiatric clinic Burghölzli in Zurich, where Dr. Oberholzer had worked several decades before.

Dr. Emil Oberholzer had become an early practitioner of Freudian psychoanalysis following a personal analysis in 1913 from Freud himself. He would gain further notoriety as the assistant of Hermann Rorschach, and later trained American psychiatrists who subsequently introduced the Rorschach test in the United States.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 1, 2023 11:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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