Period Eyewear

[Edwin Carl Erwin]

Spectacle Accoutrements

Regarding Master Optician, Gregg Crockett's Spectacle Accoutrements for period prescription specs: http://ivydiv_mp.tripod.com/spectacleaccoutrements/.
What's your experience regarding his workmanship, price, delivery time, & guarantee?

Thanks for your time & consideration in answering.

Regards,

[Harvard Yankee]

Re: Eyewear vendors

I recently purchased a nice pair of antique spectacles from Eyeglasseswarehouse.com. The folks there really know their stuff and were very helpful. Their business & hobby is to collect, buy, and sell antique eyeglasses & accessories. My pair of steel frames, in very good condition, went for $65.

If you go with an antique pair, instead of repro, then you need to be aware of the big differences between modern & old glasses. The two big differences are the lenses & frames.

Old style lenses were thin, flat and made of glass. Today, lenses are curved & made from high tech plastics. During the mid-1800's, frames were much lighter, thinner, and made from straight lenses. It takes a little extra skill & care to make modern lenses that fit old frames. Also, many frames of the period do not have screws to remove the lenses. The frames are welded or soldered & the lenses are non-removable without cutting the frames. Obviously it is much better to get frames with screws.

As far as having the lenses made, I suggest finding a local optician who has been in business for a number of years and who has a lab on site. Many large chains will not go near antique eyeglasses.

My lenses cost $85.00 - I'm very near-sighted and got the best, thinnest lenses I could buy.

I love my "new" spectacles. They are actually more comfortable than my modern pair.

Pvt. Charles Lustenberger
20th Mass, Co. D
The Harvard Regiment

[MuddyWaterMess]

Period Glasses

Howdy, thanks to my father i have eyes like a mole and without the specs i cant see anything. I was curious where i could get some period glasses. Either repos or originals. Any information will help. THANKS

BEN JENKINS

[NoahBriggs]

Re: Period Eyeglasses

I picked up a pair of originals for $45 at an antique store in my old hometown. I do not need specs - yet. Once my eyesight deteriorates to the point I need glasses then I am going to get the origianl lenses replaced with my prescription, or however it works.

For now, though, they are good for close-up reading glasses - like reading fine print on patent medicine labels. Anything out past two feet becomes a blur, like someone smeared butter on the lenses.

CRRC 2 has a good article on what to look for in correct glasses. Pay attention in antique stores; on occasion you could strike lucky as I did.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Period Eyeglasses

Hello-

Just throwing this one out there, but wrap-around the ear eye wear -wasn't- period? I have a pair of straight, extendable glasses with teardrop ends (about 1840-1850s) that I use, but I also have an antique pair of wrap-around the ear eye wear too. Don't use these anyway...
From my brief readings on this subject, eye wear was just as expensive (if not more expensive) for people back then to afford as it is today. Watches were in this category too. So I reckon it wasn't a matter of if you had to wear glasses all day or not, just if you could afford to do so.

Cool topic- Johnny

[Rob]

Re: Period Eyeglasses

The wrap-around earpieces, originally called riding temples, were introduced in 1885.