Carte de Visite Photograph
THE 1902 ENGAGEMENT OR WEDDING PHOTO OF ALBERT EINSTEIN AND MILEVA MARIĆ.
1902 was a particularly difficult year for Albert Einstein. In February, he was encouraged to withdraw his doctoral dissertation from the University of Zurich (it was deemed too controversial and speculative) and was left without direction in his professional life. Removed from academia and in need of a stable job, he accepted a provisional position (“technical expert third class”) at the patent office in Bern, Switzerland. Famously – although he had, of course, no idea at the time – this would be a fateful decision, for it was while working at the patent office that he would find the time to write his remarkable papers of 1905, completely transforming the direction of modern science.
His relationship with Mileva Marić, his fellow student at Zurich Polytechnic, was similarly under significant stress, for early in 1902 (likely January), Marić gave birth to their first child and the couple felt the need to keep the news of their new daughter – named Lieserl in their letters – secret. Even now, well more than a century later, the fate of Lieserl is shrouded in mystery. There is strong evidence that she died of scarlet fever in 1903, but it is also possible she was given up for adoption around the same time.
Despite all the instability in their lives, Albert and Mileva got engaged in 1902 and the present photo is an extremely rare carte de visite marking the occasion. Dated “1902” on the verso, the photo is from the studio of Swiss photographer Emil Vollenweider (1849-1921) with his gilt stamped signature at the base of the recto, and his address and the date (1902) on the verso. Albert and Mileva were married in Bern on January 6, 1903, so it is possible the carte de visite was created to either announce their engagement or their marriage.
In 1903, Einstein was not yet famous. In fact, his circle of friends and family was quite small, with only two guests – Einstein’s friends Maurice Solovine and Conrad Habicht – attending his wedding. It is almost certain, then, that very few of these carte de visites were created, presumably to be distributed to friends and family.
Although the photograph is a formal studio shot, it is a lovely, revealing image. Mileva is casually leaning into Albert and both look relaxed and happy.
Bern: Emil Vollenweider, 1902. Photograph on original studio card stock mount. Approx. 6.5x10.5 cm. Spotting and soiling to the image, with indentation on the left of image extending into Mileva’s hair. Corners bumped.
EXCEEDINGLY RARE: WE CAN FIND NO OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS PHOTOGRAPH HAVING BEEN ON THE MARKET.
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