[Sca-cooks] period spectacles

[Robyn.Hodgkin at affa.gov.au]

Now you have gone and pushed a button.... period spectacles is one of my "things".

There is almost no sight I despise more than the sight of someone wandering the tourney field wearing flourescent pink wraparounds.  If someone speaks to them, most say that they are wearing them for medical reasons.

I have a personal goal to try and find commercial frames that are as close to period in style as possible, so that I, and others can use them.  I am not attempting to make glasses, as I am doing a thousand other things with my time.

Sir Gui wears pince nez which are ok, but don't really stay on well; luckily his eyesight is good enough to do without.  Mistress Mathilde has plastic imitation horn rimmed glasses which aren't bad at all. I have smaller round rimmed glasses the main flaw of which is that they are gold framed rather than black.

I have the CA on spectacles and remain unconvinced on a number of fronts as to its accuracy.  I have attempted to do some serious research into the history of eyeglasses and discovered that there is almost no information out there. However I have been collecting paintings and pictures and photographs and now have a fair body of information. I recently spoke to someone who said that they even had a picture of period glasses with arms rather than leather loops, but I will wait with anticipation to see them.

Luckily the Harry Potter books have had their impact on the glasses industry. I recently bought 10 pairs of sunglasses with circular black metal frames.  The nose pieces are even period in style, without plastic nose rests! I will be selling them at my stall at Rowany Festival next year.

Kiriel

I have very poor eyesight and could not possibly go without some form of corrective lense.  Not and function anyway!  I can't wear contacts because my eyes react with them to make them go milky.