 |  | Einstein the icon. The exhibition shows how there was much more to the man than the popular image. Photo courtesy Albert Einstein Archives, Jewish National and University Library, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
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The display contains the familiar photographs of Einstein in his later years - with his iconic wild white hair - together with an extensive set of facsimiles, including historical scientific and political documents. These items are complemented by humorous letters to him from children.
As a dedicated humanitarian, Einstein’s achievements in science are only part of a life spent advocating pacifism and supporting those vulnerable to the political climate of the time. Notably on display is his correspondence with President Roosevelt in which he expressed concerns for the advances in his own discipline in light of the threat of nuclear war.
With the Einstein archives held at The Jewish National and University Library the majority of the exhibition is 'in reproduction' but despite the lack of objects to break up the narrative, visitors needn't feel detached.
A keen cyclist, pacifist and committed to Judaism, Einstein had many facets to his character. Photo courtesy of the Archives, California Institute of Technology | |  |
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This exhibition makes an important association between Einstein’s scientific explorations and his personal politics and manages to place it in the context of Judaism, the faith that dictated his diverse efforts.
In celebrating not just the public achievement of the individual but also his wider life, Albert Einstein: Man of the Century goes beyond the image to explore the whole story of the man of the century.
