Sometimes we find remarkable listings via eBay’s Top Shared page, often through our most watched list, and other times we just find something interesting and write about it. But this is the first time we have had a remarkable listing that was suggested by a seller on eBay, and with an interesting story behind it as well.
Long time Top Rated Seller male_rn_76 contacted us about an item he was asked to list. Today’s remarkable listing is this Rare Signed Albert Einstein Wax Figure Head by Katherine Stubergh:
This amazing wax figure is incredibly life-like. The description of the head from the listing describes why:
“This Bizarre Rarity was commissioned by Albert Einstein himself, to be created by Katherine Stubergh (the legendary wax sculptress of the stars) shortly after he came to America. This amazing work was done as a “Live Blast” which means that Mr. Einstein actually sat with Stubergh in her studio as she took a mold casting off of his face and created this exact detailed work of art! This is the only one known to exist! If this wasn’t already enough, on the back of the head, Einstein has signed the piece!”
It turned out that the Cave City Wax Museum, where this piece was displayed, recently closed and a number of the figures in the collection were sold. We contacted the seller via email to get a bit more information about how his store came to be the place that sold this remarkable find. He wrote:
I was contacted by the owner of this item due to being listed in the Ebay directory of certified sellers. I was asked to meet him at 2pm this past Saturday at the now closed museum were he had some items he thought I might be interested in selling. He specifically only mentioned that he had 40,000 brand new postcards from the 1960s of the museum and wanted to know if I might wanna sell them. He never mentioned any of the other items, including the head. I almost did not go!
I arrived on time at 2pm, at 2:15 he still was not there, and I left. I drove 5 miles down the road and a truck pulled up next to me in the wrong lane of traffic waving me down. He apologized and asked for me to please come back to the museum. Reluctant to go, I turned around and went. Upon entering the museum he took me straight into the former exhibit areas and began to show me all the original now antique items he would like to have sold. He then began to explain to me he had this real rare item he would like to sale, but he did not know what avenue to take.
He came back with a box, and inside was Einsteins head!
He went on to say that this listing is making waves in Germany, where Einstein was born. Einstein needs no introduction, being one of the most influential physicists to ever live. He is renowned for his theory of relativity and his “most famous equation” E = mc2 (where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light). Apparently he sat for Katherine Stubergh, who had earned notoriety for creating uncannily accurate wax figures of entertainment luminaries such as Charles Chaplin, Mae West, John Barrymore, and Mary Pickford. You can find out more about Katherine here, and take a look at this cool video of Katherine using her “Live Blast” technique.
This is such an intriguing item and we are pleased to have one of our eBay sellers contacted to list it. If you want to read more about Einstein’s head, take a look at the articles below:
A waxwork of genius: One-of-a-kind mould of Albert Einstein’s face could sell for £1MILLION
One of a kind wax mould of Einstein now on eBay for sale
This would be an awesome find for the right collector. Me?, it would creep me out force factor 10 on the creepiness scale every time i looked at it. His eyes, those bushy brows, that all knowing smirk, {{{{brrrrr}}}} chills down my spine, cool though none the less.
The article lacks more text from the item description:
“The body is made of jointed wood, so that Einstein can be displayed in your choice of actual human positions. Just imagine if you would, having the greatest thinker of all time adorning your personal home in a mere life-like pose! Perhaps you choose to have Einstein accompany you to dinner at your family’s table? Or maybe a night of family time in front of the television while Einstein sits and stares at you with his original glass eyes? The possibilities of this Wax Work of Art are endless!”
I think it is pretty scary stuff, reminds me of horror movies or worse, what we sometimes lately see in the news…
This is a well done head of Albert, the artist captured detail in his face, from the bushy eye brows to his hair…Also the eyes are awesome, it looks like he is watching you. I would think this would sell to the right collector that would want something like this, would make a great addition to someones man cave!!!!!!!….
This is pretty cool! Also I find your going on business trips for matters regarding eBay says to me you made it, and congrats! I’m sure everyone is asking themselves the same question as am I, is it sold, is it listed yet and if so is the auction over, was that a buy it now price, or is the what it reached in auction format, will it be sold at private auction, if it was purchased who bought it and for what purpose, were will it be displayed, etc.
I am a good writer and smart person so I can go on and on but I won’t (wink, wink eBay hire me!!!)
@Erik: Just click on the photo of Einstein’s head and you will be taken to the auction page. As for going on business trips, I think you have me mixed up with someone else.
I hope Al got a haircut before the impression was made. Otherwise it would have been messy. I had a plaster cast made in Paris, but, that’s another story
Yeah, this is not weird at all. Creepy.
Pathetic!
Bears NO resemblance to Einstein whatsoever.
Google Einstein to see what he looked like.
This is just pathetic!
LOOKS NOTHING like Einstein. An actual mold from the man himself???
I think not.