Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born physicist. Famous for his theories of relativity, Einstein has become a cultural icon, his name synonymous with genius. In 1905, whilst working as a patent clerk, he wrote four papers, including one on special relativity; his paper on general relativity followed in 1916. His theories replaced the previously unchallenged Newtonian system, and as such have shaped modern physics. However, it was for his work on the photoelectric effect that he won the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics. He moved to the USA in 1933, and despite encouraging the development of the atomic bomb campaigned for nuclear disarmament after the war. This portrait is from the Bain News Service, one of America's oldest news picture agencies, which holds images dating from the 1890s to the 1930s.