An autographed black and white photograph of one of the most celebrated figures of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, is going to auction this weekend.

The photo of the legendary physicist was taken by Rabbi Isidore David Passow, then Assistant Chancellor of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel.

It was signed when Mr Passow went to visit Mr Einstein in Princeton University, New Jersey, USA in 1952, when the health of Israel's president, Chaim Weizmann, was failing.

Both Mr Passow and Mr Sarnoff wanted to raise the profile of the Israeli scientific community and sought to implore Mr Einstein, then 76, to become the next president of Israel upon Mr Weizmann’s death.

Mr Einstein, although “deeply moved”, would eventually decline the offer to become Israel’s president, citing his lacking “both the natural aptitude and the experience”.

The auction lot comes with a book by Mr Sarnoff given to Mr Passow called “Progress in Electronics”, from a lecture he gave at the Weizmann Institute. Inside the book is an inscription from Mr Sarnoff to Mr Passow thanking him for all his help, dated 1952.

The lot, organised through The Canterbury Auction Galleries in Kent, UK, is being sold by Mr Passow’s son.

The item has not yet found a buyer, but is estimated to be valued at between two and three thousand pounds.