Albert EINSTEIN (1879-1955) His signature ("Albert Einstein") at the conclusion of a manuscript note signed by several other individuals including Julian Clarence LEVI (1874-1971), Ida BLOOMINGDALE (1888-1989) and others, to "Fritz", Knollwood, Saranac Lake, "V-J DAY" 14 August 1945

Two pages, 265 x 183mm on Knollwood, Saranac lake stationery.

Albert Einstein on V-J Day. A jubilant group letter written by the summer residents of Knollwood, a camp situated on Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, one of Einstein's favorite summer retreats. Einstein adds his full signature together with a sentiment "Kind greetings," at the conclusion of the series of messages sent to "Fritz." Einstein was also at Knollwood the previous week when he learned of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and made his first public remarks on the subject several days afterward. The lead writer is Julian C. Levi (1874-1971), an American architect and philanthropist who was named Commander of the Legion of Honor by the French government in 1951 for his restoration work on the Chartres Cathedral. A respected watercolorist of seascapes, landscapes and still lifes, his works have been added to the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cooper Hewitt. Also of note are Ida Bloomingdale (1888-1989), the daughter of Elias Asiel, founder of Knollwood Club who married Lewis Morgan Bloomingdale (1878-1939), a psychiatrist; and Elinor Preis (1914-2002) who was a frequent summer resident—the children’s reading room at the Saranac Free Library is named after her. Provenance: Charles Hamilton, 5 August 1971, lot 136.