 Interactive map of Albert Einstein Memorial | |
| Designer | Robert Berks |
|---|---|
| Type | Bronze sculpture |
| Completion date | 1979 |
| Dedicated to | Albert Einstein |
TheAlbert Einstein Memorial is a monumentalbronze statue by sculptorRobert Berks, depictingAlbert Einstein seated with manuscript papers in hand. It is located in centralWashington, D.C., United States, in a grove of trees at the southwest corner of the grounds of theNational Academy of Sciences at 2101Constitution Avenue N.W., near theVietnam Veterans Memorial. Two replicas exist at theIsrael Academy of Sciences and Humanities and theGeorgia Institute of Technology.
The memorial, situated in an elm and holly grove in the southwest corner of the grounds of theNational Academy of Sciences, was unveiled at the Academy's annual meeting, April 22, 1979, in honor of the centennial of Einstein's birth. At the dedication ceremony, physicistJohn Archibald Wheeler described the statue as "a monument to the man who united space and time into space-time...a remembrance of the man who taught us...that the universe does not go on from everlasting to everlasting, but begins with a bang."[1] The memorial is a popular spot for tourists visiting the national mall to pose for pictures.[2]
The statue depicts Einstein seated in casual repose on a three-step bench of Mount Airy (North Carolina) white granite. The bronze figure weighs approximately 4 tons and is 12 feet in height. The monument is supported by three caissons, totaling 135 tons, sunk in bedrock to a depth of 23 to 25 feet.,[3] It was cast at Modern Art Foundry, Astoria Queens, NY.
The sculptor, Robert Berks, known for his portrait busts and statues (John F. Kennedy at theKennedy Center;Mary McLeod Bethune inLincoln Park, Washington, D.C.), based the work on a bust of Einstein he sculpted from life in 1953 at Einstein's Princeton home. Landscape architectJames A. Van Sweden designed the monument landscaping.[3]
Einstein was elected a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences in 1922, the year after he won the Nobel Prize in physics, and became a member of the Academy in 1942, two years after he became a naturalized American citizen.[3]
Berks created two replicas of his 1979 monument. One of the replicas can presently be viewed in the academy garden of theIsrael Academy of Sciences and Humanities; another on the campus of theGeorgia Institute of Technology inAtlanta, Georgia.[4]
The statue and bench are at one side of a circulardais, 28 feet (8.5 m) in diameter, made from emerald-pearl granite fromLarvik, Norway. Embedded in the dais are more than 2,700 metal studs representing the location of astronomical objects, including thesun,moon,planets, 4asteroids, 5galaxies, 10quasars, and manystars at noon on April 22, 1979, when the memorial was dedicated. The studs are different sizes to denote theapparent magnitude of the relevant object, and different studs denotebinary stars,spectroscopic binaries,pulsars,globular clusters,open clusters, andquasars. The celestial objects were accurately positioned by astronomers at theU.S. Naval Observatory. Familiar constellations are marked on the map for easy identification.[1]
To a visitor standing at the center of the dais, Einstein appears to be making direct eye contact, and any spoken words are notably amplified.
Engraved as though written on the papers held in the statue's left hand are three equations, summarizing three of Einstein's most important scientific advances:
Along the back of the bench, behind the statue, three famous quotations from the scientist are inscribed. They were selected to reflect Einstein's sense of wonder, scientific integrity, and concern for social justice.[1] They are :
The statue was filmed and subsequently used in the opening title sequence ofSesame Street during the show's 20th season.
A copy of the Albert Einstein Memorial made of 100% dark and whitechocolate was once on display in theMarriott Wardman Park Hotel inWashington, DC.[5]
In July 2012, the sculpture wasyarn bombed by the Polish-born artistOlek, who enclosed the entire statue in a colorful crocheted wrap of pinks, purples, and teal.[6]
38°53′33″N77°02′54″W / 38.8924°N 77.0483°W /38.8924; -77.0483
