Sculptor, thinker, and KFC 'To-Go' innovator Margaret Sanders Adams held a longstanding fascination Albert Einstein and his work, sparked by an interest in the correlation of science and religion. As she wrote to Einstein on December 17, 1953: "Dr. Einstein, because of intuition and the inspiration of all your written works which I had devoured with a hungry mind, I set out from my home in Florida with twenty-five dollars in my purse to establish myself near the Library of Congress where I could get more of your works and hope that one day I might even meet you in person...I have sculpted a head of Mrs. J. Edgar Lillienfeld and learned that she and her husband, Dr. Lillienfeld, were personal friends of yours and they have generously added to my storehouse of knowledge of you...Now, comes Dr. Otto Nathan into my experience, who saw me reading your books at the Library of Congress and made himself known to me. He has been so kind as to offer to bring my letter to you in person."
After that chance encounter at the Library of Congress, Margaret became a close friend of Otto Nathan, a former Princeton economist and the future executor of Einstein's estate. She documents their relationship, and her interest in Einstein's work, in her memoir, The Colonel's Secret: Eleven Herbs and a Spicy Daughter (pp. 186–239), published in 1996.
She relates the origin of her Einstein bust: "Dr. Nathan, a bachelor, came to Washington frequently and always took me to dinner. We became friends on a first-name basis. His Doctorate was in Economics, and during his career he taught Economics at Columbia, Princeton, and New York University. Otto told me that it was at Princeton where he and Einstein began their close friendship, one that was to last the rest of their lives. Otto became such a trusted comrade that Einstein appointed him Executor of his estate.
As time passed, Otto became very interested in my sculpting. When Beatrice Lillienfeld of St. Thomas, V.I., was sitting for me, he was impressed by the 'sensitivity' I was able to capture in her portrait. When I finished the bust of Fred Vinson, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, he was even more impressed...
When Otto saw the finished portrait bust of Fred Vinson, he asked me if I would consider doing a bust of Dr. Einstein for him. I could hardly believe my ears! At last I was going to meet the man who had been my idol for years! I told Otto, it always seemed to me there had been some kind of magic that came forth to do the sculpting for me. Now, trembling at the very thought of it, I asked Otto, 'What if that magic doesn't happen again when Einstein sits for me?' Otto assured me Einstein would like what I did. I promised Otto I would do the bust, but only after taking some classes. Not having had a good experience with my first teacher, I felt a need to build my confidence, before sculpting someone that I considered to be one of the most important men in the world...
I was awakened by a distressed call from Dr. Otto Nathan early on the morning of March 17, 1955. In a grief-stricken voice he said simply, 'Margaret, Dr. Einstein just died.' My heart dropped to my feet. I tried to think of some words of condolence for my dear friend who was so devastated by his loss. My own grief was compounded by the disappointment of missing my golden opportunity to meet Einstein in person, which I would have done had I only believed in myself and complied with Otto's request to do a bust of him at the time he asked...
Although I had never sculpted from photographs, I decided I would give it a try for Otto's sake since I had promised to do a head of Einstein for him. He had given me many pictures of Einstein and now was as good a time as any to accepted this as a new challenge!
I decided to start preparing for the next day when I would have Einstein's pictures from which to work. I put some clay on the armature and started building it to life size in order to save time. I had been at this perhaps an hour when the mailman ran in excitedly. 'Oh, you're doing a head of Einstein,' he exclaimed. I thought I'd met my first psychic mailman. I said, 'Yes, I am getting ready to, but how did you know?' He said as he pointed, 'Well, I was over there on the corner taking mail out of that collection box and I could see you.'
Next, a lady entered the gallery. Passing my table, she looked thoughtfully at what I was doing and said, 'A likeness of Dr. Einstein, I see.' Startled, I looked up at her and said, 'It will be tomorrow, but how did you know?' She answered rather haughtily, 'Well, I lived in Princeton for years and used to see him practically every day!' I really wanted to know if she was psychic too, but I didn't dare ask.
A short time later, three children toting schoolbooks under their arms stopped outside the store standing three abreast across the double-door entrance. As they stared intently I saw one of them nudge his buddy. I could scarcely believe his words, 'She's doing a head of Albert Einstein.'
That did it! I got up to walk across the room to see for myself.
When I looked back, sure enough there was a head of Einstein on my table. I was totally unaware of what I had done. I told the two shop owners, Robert and Bob, 'If you see me walk toward that little head with tools in my hand looking like I'm going to touch it, please knock me unconscious. You have my permission to do whatever it takes to stop me. I want to cast it just as it is.'
Robert asked, 'What do you need in order to cast it?'
'Just some plain white plaster,' I answered.
Robert laughed and turned to Bob saying, 'You hold her, Bob, and I'll go get the plaster.'
While he was gone I found an old, chipped, blue enamel pan in the back of the shop. When he returned, I mixed the plaster in it and made the mold right then and there. I felt the need to preserve the little head for posterity because there certainly had to be an unseen energy at work which manifested through my hands.
I still intended to do another head for Otto using the pictures; however, when I saw this one chipped out of the mold, I had it cast in bronze with the intentions of offering it to Otto. I sent him several photos shot from different angles to see if he wanted this one or whether he preferred to wait until I did another one.
He wrote me saying, 'I think you've done an excellent job with the Einstein bust. There are several busts existing—the most famous ones by Epstein and Davidson, which I personally find unsatisfactory. Perhaps it's because they both originated in a much earlier time of his life. As far as I can judge from the photos you've sent me, yours is better, particularly the photo which shows the right side of his face and part of the left. They strike me as very good.'
Subsequent to his reply I had an additional nine more cast for myself and family, plus some permastone copies cast for a few choice friends who shared my love for Einstein. I have been told that even the copies possess a mysterious quality that has been felt, as well as seen, by their owners. These little heads are so personal to me that I have never accepted any money for them."
