Albert Einstein Sails With a Russian Spy - Charles Point Council Lecture Series

The public is invited to attend the National Maritime Historical Society's Charles Point Council Lecture Series on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library. The lecture "Albert Einstein Sails with a Russian Spy" will be presented by David Allen, Humanities Professor at SUNY Maritime College.

Sailing was a passion for Albert Einstein. He learned to sail on Lake Zurich in Switzerland in 1896 when he was 18 and continued sailing for over 50 years. One of his favorite boats was a beat-up 15-footer called Tinef - meaning ‘worthless’ or ‘junk’.  He never strayed too far from shore and didn’t race.  He just enjoyed being on the water and cruising, spending many summers sailing on Saranac Lake, sometimes with a Russian spy.

Many of the artifacts from some of America’s momentous maritime events are lost in plain sight and rusting, rotting or corroding away, often while in full view of the public and, sometimes even in the view of museum professionals. Recently, students from the State University of New York Maritime College have been tracking down lost or mislaid historic maritime-related artifacts and they have made some astonishing discoveries and are on the trail of finding Albert Einstein’s Tinef, actual lifeboats from the RMS Lusitania, Andréa Doria, Morro Castle, Titanic, and Henry Morton Stanley’s rowboat that he used on the Congo River to locate Dr. Livingstone. This presentation will discuss and illustrate some of the innovative and sometimes unorthodox methods used by Humanities students at SUNY Maritime College to bring important artifacts back into the public realm.

What: Presentation: “Albert Einstein Sails with a Russian Spy” by David Allen, Humanities Professor at SUNY Maritime College
When: Saturday February 27, 2016
Where: Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, NY 10548
Time: Coffee & Registration at 10:30 AM; Lecture at 11:00 AM
Cost: Lecture - $5 to $10 suggested donation; After the lecture, NMHS will host a luncheon - $25 prepaid and cash bar. Reservations required, 914 737-7878 x 0 or email nmhs@seahistory.org.
Sponsor: The National Maritime Historical Society

Through its monthly lecture series, the Charles Point Council promotes maritime heritage by providing valuable educational and informational programs, as well as offering a meeting place for those who share a common interest and enthusiasm for the field.

The National Maritime Historical Society is located at 5 John Walsh Boulevard in Peekskill. For more information and to reserve a space for the program, call 914 737-7878 x 0 or email nmhs@seahistory.org.


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ABOUT NMHS
The National Maritime Historical Society is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to raise awareness of maritime heritage and the role seafaring has played in shaping civilization.  The Society seeks to educate society about extraordinary maritime accomplishments and their continuing relevance for prosperity and cultural vitality. The Society’s initiatives encompass publications, educational programs, sail training and preservation of historic ships.​