Taking a look at some spectacular spectacles in the TRC collection, by Mayte Van den Broeck, volunteer at the TRC

Today I want to take a look at some spectacular spectacles from the late 19th to mid-20th century. I myself, like many others, wear glasses on the daily basis, yet looking at the wide variety of styles and types of glasses in the collection, I realised how little I know of how they developed over the centuries. So I want to take you along on my brief dive into the history of some types of glasses.

Pair of spectacles, 1920s, The Netherlands (TRC 2022.3091b).

The invention and popularisation of glasses came about gradually, with the earliest known examples being attributed to different people, time periods and places. Some scholars credit the Romans with learning to use glass in such a way as to improve their vision, through the use of small spherical magnifying glasses. Whereas Abbas Ibn Firnas, an inventor from The Emirate of Córdoba is believed to be the inventor of the first corrective lenses in the form of reading stones. Jumping ahead, 13th century Italian Renaissance paintings depict scholars with handheld frames or perch-style spectacles. They were accessible primarily by the wealthy at the time, and were a status symbol conveying intelligence and affluence.

Pince-nez, 1920s, The Netherlands (TRC 2022.3083b).

Spectacle frames as we know them today with arms/temples going around the sides of the head weren’t introduced until the early 1700s. In our collection are many ‘contemporary’ examples of this style of spectacles, including have elegant pair of 1920s glasses from The Netherlands (TRC 2022.3091b) with delicate arms that loop around the ears.

Popular in 19th century Europe were ‘pince-nez’ glasses, literally translating from French to ‘pinch-nose’. They have a spring mechanism which allows them to sit on the nose without arms. Though for security the glasses were often connected to the wearer’s clothes with a chain or string attached to the metal loops on the (lower) side of the glasses. This can be seen in these two examples of pince-nez glasses in our collection (TRC 2022.3083b and TRC 2007.1082).

Pince-nez, mid-20th century, Western (TRC 2007.1082).Also in our collection is an interesting pair of pince-nez referred to as ‘half-glasses’ (TRC 2009.0004a) with half-moon lenses that could be replaced. Whilst spectacles with arms were also worn during this time, some wearers opted for pince-nez as a less prominent option that didn’t draw quite as much attention to what was often considered a physical defect. TRC 2022.3083b – Pince-nez, 1920s, The Netherlands TRC 2007.1082 – Pince-nez, mid 20th c., Western TRC 2009.0004a – Pair of half-glasses, 20th c., The Netherlands

The invention/progress of sunglasses or glasses to shield from harmful UV exposure is intertwined with glasses meant to improve vision. Dating back 2000 years ago, the Inuit and Yupik of Alaska and Canada made and wore snow goggles, named ‘iggaak’ from antler, wood, ivory, and bone which were worn over the eyes and had a narrow slit to see through to shield the eyes from the glare and UV radiation off of the snow. Over the years, glasses meant to shield from glare developed in many different ways and regions, branching into the sunglasses we know today. In the TRC collection we have a beautiful example of Western sunglasses from the 1920s (TRC 2022.3075), made both to be practical and stylish. TRC 2022.3075 – Pair of sunglasses, 1920s, The Netherlands.

Pair of spectacles, 19th c., China (TRC 2023.2141)Also in our collection are these double hinged tinted glasses from China in the 19th century (TRC 2023.2141). About 900 years ago, Chinese people started using flat pieces of smoky quartz to aid vision. Then in the 15th century, these flat smoky quartz lenses were incorporated into spectacles to shield from glare and sunlight rather than being shaped to correct vision. Smoky quartz is a semi-precious crystal that is durable and naturally tinted. Whilst I am no expert on crystals, in comparing the spectacles in our collection to other examples I believe the lenses may be smoky quartz

Also in our collection are a pair of glasses from 19th century China with clear glasses, rather than tinted crystal. And a pair of lightly tinted glasses with side screens from 20th century China, though similar example often seem to be from late 19th to early 20th century US and UK and labelled as ‘driving’ or ‘safety’ glasses. TRC 2023.2141 – Pair of spectacles, 19th c., China TRC 2023.2140 – Pair of spectacles, 19th c., China TRC 2023.1288a – Pair of spectacles, 20th c., China

Pair of spectacles, early 20th c., Western (TRC 2007.1081)Also in the TRC collection is a beautiful pair of blue tinted glasses (TRC 2007.1081) with metal arms made of two connected pieces that slide in order to fold them flat. The glasses are believed to date back to the early 20th century. Though the use of coloured tinted glasses goes back much further, around 1752, James Ayscough, an English designer and optician introduced a series of spectacles with blue or green tinted lenses and double hinged side pieces to the English market. James Ayscough wrote that white glasses gave a bright glare that is ‘offensive’ to the eyes, and green or blue lenses are much easier on the eyes. My research shows that in later years and into the early 20th century, green and blue tinted glasses were often prescribed to treat medical conditions, such as photophobia induced by syphilis. TRC 2007.1081 – Pair of spectacles, early 20th c., Western

In a further dive into glasses I think it would be incredibly interesting to investigate more of the social and cultural history of spectacles. Thanks in part to pop-culture, glasses wearers today are often perceived through the lens of certain cliches. Think for example of the teen movies where the nerdy girl becomes popular just by taking off her glasses. Or the business man who is naturally understood to be intelligent thanks to his pair of glasses. But how were they perceived in China in the 1920s, for example? Or how did people view them when they first started to become more common in the Netherlands? How did art and media incorporate and portray them in their works? They are such an interesting object that is both medically important to correct vision issues, and a fashion/design item with a long history.