Spectacles gallery (original) (raw)
The British Optical Association Museum is one of the world's foremost authorities on the history of spectacles. The contents of this online exhibition are the result of several decades of research carried out by museum staff and supporters. The text has been subject to detailed peer review and is constantly revised to reflect the latest scholarship. We believe this is the most reliable history of spectacles available on the web.
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The invention of spectacles
How and where glasses may have begun 2.
Rivet spectacles
The earliest form of spectacles 3.
Seventeenth century spectacles
A bit on the side
The development of spectacle sides 5.
Eighteenth century spectacles
The Vickris-Hyam spectacles
A special pair of spectacles with a family history 7.
Nineteenth century spectacles
Scissor spectacles
The cutting edge of eyewear 9.
Quizzing glasses (Quizzers)
A single lens to peer through 10.
Monocles
A single lens to wear in the socket 11.
Reading glasses and magnifiers
Not what the phrase means today 12.
Lorgnettes and folding eyeglasses
Spectacles on the end of handles 13.
Twentieth century spectacles
NHS Spectacles
Free glasses for all...for a while 15.
Dr Dujardin's Luminous Spectacles
Driving spectacles
Twenty first century spectacles
Eyewear in the 2000s