Albert Einstein Memorial granite bench and armillary sphere

The Albert Einstein Memorial features a 12-foot bronze statue of Einstein seated on a polished granite bench with a bronze armillary sphere beside him; the memorial is located on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. The sculpture was dedicated in 1979 and is a documented work by sculptor Robert Berks. A common visitor practice is to rub Einstein's left shoe for good luck, a piece of folklore noted in guidebooks and news accounts rather than an official tradition.