Signed portrait "Einstein's Tongue" sold for nearly 4 million

RR Auction is an auction house in Boston that specializes in autographs, artifacts, and hard-to-find manuscripts and photographs. RRA has sold items used in moon photography and signed Polaroid pictures of Steve Jobs, among other things.

Now it's time for another signed picture, this time "Einstein's Tongue," which is now a world-famous image of the German-American physicist who, among other things, created the general theory of relativity.

The signed photograph was expected to sell at auction for around $40,000, nearly half a million kronor - something that ultimately turned out to be an underestimate. The portrait of Einstein, photographed by press photographer Arthur Sasse on March 14, 1951, while working for United Press International, was taken on Einstein's 72nd birthday.

The description of the portrait explains that Einstein was on his way to a friend's car after the birthday party at the Princeton Club when Sasse called out to Einstein to smile for the camera "for his birthday picture." Instead, Einstein stuck out his tongue, and Sasse took the picture, which has since become iconic.

Einstein later saw the picture in the newspaper and wrote to International News Photo asking if he could get nine pictures to send to his friends - something they did. In total, Einstein received nine 5x7 inch portrait pictures, one of which is the picture now sold via RRA.

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The picture is signed by Einstein himself with the text “This gesture is meant only for the rest of the world - A. Einstein 51." The picture has also been authenticated and placed in a DNA-authenticated holder.

Even camera gear sells for high prices at auction - a Leica M3 was sold at auction in 2023 for the sum of 1,120,000 kronor.

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