Einstein’s leather jacket sold to the company that made it
Auction house Christie’s has announced that the buyer of Albert Einstein’s leather jacket was Levi Strauss, the company that designed and made the garment in the mid-1930s.
At a Christie’s sale of the jacket in London on July 14, Levi’s was the highest bidder at £110,500. It has reclaimed its original Cossack jacket, which was worn by Einstein in the mid-1930s, when he moved to the US and became an official American.
Tracey Panek, a historian for Levi’s, said: “Amazingly, after all these years, Einstein’s jacket retains his scent and smells of smoke. It feels so satisfying to be a part of preserving this history. I'm thrilled to see the product coming home to Levi’s.”
“The response to Albert Einstein’s leather ‘Cossack’ jacket by Levi Strauss & Co. in Christie’s Valuable Books and Manuscripts Sale has been exciting, generating international interest,” said Thomas Venning, head of books and manuscripts at Christie’s in London.
