Guest Author - Norma Shephard

Monocles, horn-rimmed spectacles, and opera glasses have long been appreciated by antique dealers, but merchants at flea markets and vintage shops are now selling iconic eye-wear styles from the 1940s in Bakelite, Lucite®, wood grain, etched aluminum, and painted metal.

From Riviera style to librarian temples, new old stock frames are trading briskly on the internet and quirky used glasses in octagonal and butterfly designs, as well as oversized sunglasses, disappear daily from thrift store showcases. In fact, not since John Lennon first sported Granny Glasses have outdated lenses been so collectible. With optical outlets recreating fashion classics like the rhinestone-studded cat-eye frames of the 1950s, and fashionistas embracing that 70s look with big round sunglasses, savvy collectors are taking pains to source out authentic originals.

A Brief History of Glasses

While the use of glass magnifying lenses for reading can be traced to 13th-century Italy, modern eyeglasses (i.e. lenses encased in frames that can be worn on the face) have undergone many style changes since the appearance of the pince-nez or nose glasses of the 18th century, when lenses connected over the nose by a bridge of lightweight tortoiseshell were popular with the upper classes. Magnifying lenses mounted in watch-fobs, walking sticks, and fans were also fashionable for a time, and are a rare but exciting find for today’s collector.

Early spectacles were unframed and simply held by hand in front of the face, attached to hats, or tied around the head with bands made of leather, ribbon, or cord. In China, weights were added to strings, which looped over the ears holding the lenses in place. Twentieth-century style changes reflect scientific advances in the manufacture of lenses as well as frames and are closely tied to fashion and cultural influences.

Fun and funky retro sunglasses turn up frequently at thrift stores and flea markets for between $5 and $15. Display them on a mirrored tray of the same vintage or use them to add authenticity to a collection of outdated swimwear.

"Eyeglass Retrospective", by Nancy Schiffer, is a good resource for evaluating classic eyewear, but period magazine ads also prove helpful when dating these items. If your glasses are found in their original case, consider yourself lucky, these will give clues to the age and origin of your purchase, but unfortunately, many flea markets and thrift stores separate the cases from the contents.

While iconic eyewear from the mid twentieth-century is still widely available at modest prices, its popularity is increasing due to its intimate association with pop-culture influences. When getting into the market, consider wing-shaped frames that mimic the jet-age inspired tailfins of 1950s automobiles or tuck-away folding lorgnettes that were carried in small handbags by the cocktail-party generation. Whatever your selection, this is one area of costume collecting that deserves a second look. For more on the subject see Nancy Schiffer's book, Eyeglass Retrospective.