This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
License
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Quizzing (quizzer) spectacles, gold plated, ornately embellished, in snap lid leather case, French, 1800-1820
Quizzing glasses were popular in the 1700s and 1800s. This type of quizzer glass has a ring at the end to attach the spectacle to a cord or a ribbon. This was then worn around the neck, so the glass was readily available. The quizzer glass has a short, gold-plated handle and a small lens. The ornate decoration and use of gold plate indicate a wealthy owner wanting to make a fashion statement.
Spectacles were increasingly common in the 1700s. Designs such as the quizzer spectacle allowed wealthier and elite members of society to distinguish themselves from the lower classes.
Details
- Category:
- Ophthalmology
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A682099
- Materials:
- gold (plated), leather, velvet, silk and glass
- Measurements:
-
overall: 12 mm x 101 mm x 56 mm, .06 kg
spectacles: 82 mm 37 mm,
- type:
- spectacles
