Einstein at Home

The Historical Society of Princeton presents Einstein At Home, featuring family photographs, artwork, special memorabilia, and seventeen select pieces of Albert Einstein’s furniture from the Einstein Collection of the Historical Society of Princeton. The objects on display include upholstered armchairs, desks, a sideboard, and his Victrola.

The rarely seen personal items and furnishings offer a glimpse into Einstein’s personal life at his Mercer Street home in Princeton, where he lived from 1933 until his death in 1955. In addition to the furnishings on display are personal items, such as his pipe, games, and photographs of the scientist at home working at his desk, meeting with notable visitors, playing his violin, and sitting in his favorite chair. Together the exhibition portrays the personal story of the world-famous scientist and his life as a Princeton citizen.

This exhibition runs from February 8, 2011 through January 16, 2012, at Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, open from noon to 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The Historical Society receives an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. slippers

Albert Einstein lived at 112 Mercer Street (c.1840) from 1936 until his death in 1955. His theory of relativity made him a world-wide celebrity and in 1921 he received an honorary degree from Princeton University. In 1930 he agreed to spend part of each year at the newly founded Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, an academic center where scholars could pursue their research free from the pressures of teaching. When the Nazis came to power, Einstein was forced to resign his position at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin and chose to settle in Princeton permanently. He assisted over 200 European scholars, scientists, and artists who appealed to him for help in emigrating. His house, originally located on Alexander Street, was moved to its present location c.1875. Today it is a private residence.

In 2003, the Historical Society was the recipient of a gift of 65 pieces of Albert Einstein's furniture from his Mercer Street home, donated by the Institute for Advanced Study. An eclectic collection, the gift includes tables, chairs, chests, cabinets, a bed and other items from the 18th through 20th centuries.

The furniture is representative of several styles and eras. One of the earliest pieces is a Queen Anne table made in Austria between 1730 and 1770. An upholstered tub armchair from the early 20th century appears frequently in photos of Einstein at home. According to James R. Blackwood's Einstein in the Rear-view Mirror, which appeared in Volume 14 of Princeton History, it was local jeweler Isadore Braveman who kept the Einstein's 19th century Biedermeier-style clock in working order. Blackwood also described the efforts of the underground to send the furniture from Germany to the United States under a fictitious name, which led to difficulties with suspicious customs officials when the Einsteins went to New York to claim their things.

Another section about Einstein at the Princeton Historical Society allows more insights into the scientist's family life:

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Einstein at Home

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