Albert's Leather Jacket
Lotte Jacobi, Albert Einstein in the Leather Jacket © 1938 The University of New Hampshire. Portrait of Albert Einstein courtesy of the University of New Hampshire
These early images were taken shortly after Einstein’s application for permanent residency in the US, having fled Nazi rule in his native Germany in 1933. ‘This jacket seems to capture Einstein’s mood as he embarks on a new life in the US. It’s made by Levi Strauss, and feels particularly American.’
Over several years, the jacket aged visibly. ‘Einstein wore it all the time — a fact mentioned in the memoirs of fellow scientist Leopold Infeld, who worked with him at Princeton. Infeld explained that Einstein tried to keep material restrictions to a minimum. Long hair reduced the need for a barber and, he wrote, “one leather jacket solved the coat problem for years.”’
Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) brown leather ‘Cossack’ jacket by Levi, Strauss & Co., circa 1935. Sold for £110,500 in the Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale on 13 July 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) brown leather ‘Cossack’ jacket by Levi, Strauss & Co., circa 1935. Sold for £110,500 in the Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale on 13 July 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Indeed, Einstein wore the jacket so often that, decades later, it retains his scent. ‘Einstein was an incessant pipe-smoker and, astonishingly, 60 years after his death, his jacket still smells of smoke,’ comments Venning, who adds that the piece has been an ‘electrifying’ temporary addition to Christie’s books department.
These early images were taken shortly after Einstein’s application for permanent residency in the US, having fled Nazi rule in his native Germany in 1933. ‘This jacket seems to capture Einstein’s mood as he embarks on a new life in the US. It’s made by Levi Strauss, and feels particularly American.’
Over several years, the jacket aged visibly. ‘Einstein wore it all the time — a fact mentioned in the memoirs of fellow scientist Leopold Infeld, who worked with him at Princeton. Infeld explained that Einstein tried to keep material restrictions to a minimum. Long hair reduced the need for a barber and, he wrote, “one leather jacket solved the coat problem for years.”’
Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) brown leather ‘Cossack’ jacket by Levi, Strauss & Co., circa 1935. Sold for £110,500 in the Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale on 13 July 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) brown leather ‘Cossack’ jacket by Levi, Strauss & Co., circa 1935. Sold for £110,500 in the Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale on 13 July 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Indeed, Einstein wore the jacket so often that, decades later, it retains his scent. ‘Einstein was an incessant pipe-smoker and, astonishingly, 60 years after his death, his jacket still smells of smoke,’ comments Venning, who adds that the piece has been an ‘electrifying’ temporary addition to Christie’s books department.
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