Albert Einstein died 55 years ago yesterday. LIFE magazine hired a photographer named Ralph Morse to document the event. Armed with his camera and the insight to buy a case of Scotch “to open doors and loosen tongues”, he is the only photographer to have gained access to the intensely private day for the Einstein family. At the request of the Einstein family, the photographs were never published. Now 55 years later they are being published along with Ralph’s recollection of the events.
More photos after the jump (including a somber casket shot) or view the entire collection on LIFE’s site here.
