Lorgnette spectacles belonging to David Scott Mitchell a1872001

A lorgnette () is a pair of

spectacles Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples o ...

with a handle, used to hold them in place, rather than fitting over the ears or nose. The word ''lorgnette'' is derived from the French ''lorgner'', to take a sidelong look at, and Middle French, from ''lorgne'', squinting. Their precise origin is debated: some sources describe English scientist George Adams the elder as their inventor, while others cite his son George Adams the younger. The lorgnette was usually used as a piece of

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

, rather than to enhance vision. Fashionable ladies usually preferred them to spectacles. These were very popular at masquerade parties and used often at the opera. They were worn popularly in the 19th century. The lorgnette was employed as a prop and affectation by early 20th century trial lawyer

Earl Rogers Earl Rogers (November 18, 1869 – February 22, 1922) was an American trial lawyer and professor, who later became the inspiration for Perry Mason. Life Earl Rogers was born in Perry, New York on November 18, 1869, the son of Methodist ministe ...

, and one is featured on the front cover dust jacket of his biography, ''Final Verdict'', by his daughter

Adela Rogers St. Johns Adela Nora Rogers St. Johns (May 20, 1894 – August 10, 1988) was an American journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. She wrote a number of screenplays for silent movies but is best remembered for her groundbreaking exploits as "The World's Grea ...

Etymology

This word comes from French ''lorgnette'', from ''lorgner'' (to take a sidelong look at), but it is a false friend: the equivalent French name for this (obsolete) optical instrument is ''face-à-main'' while ''lorgnette'' (or ''lunette d'approche'', ''longue-vue'') usually means a ship captain's (monocular)

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

Description and types

Lorgnettes can typically be identified as a pair of spectacles on the end of a handle. There are many types and forms of the lorgnette. The handles of a lorgnette may vary in length or may be incorporated in various decorative or functional ways. Lorgnettes were made from a range of different materials including tortoise shell, horn,

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, enamel, and various kinds of jewels. Many lorgnettes had handles which also served as a protective case for the lenses to fold into, therefore making it easier to carry around. The fan lorgnette and the double lorgnette are examples of variations of the lorgnette. The fan lorgnette is an accessory where the lorgnette is hidden in the fan and used to inconspicuously observe others. An unusual variant of the fan lorgnette is the French/Spanish “Flirtation Fan” or “Eventail Cocarde” which has a unique use of

mirror A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

s and methods of opening and closing. A double lorgnette (also known as dual purpose lorgnette) consists of two pairs of spectacle

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...

es of different power, typically one for far-sighted vision and one for near-sighted vision.

History

From its invention to around the 17th century, corrective eyeglasses were mainly for the use of men. It was not common practice for women to use optical aids unless they were to partake in specific activities or tasks in which they were required to use them such as

sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fab ...

reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

. Women wearing spectacles in

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

was also not considered attractive. Following the introduction and popularisation of the lorgnette, women became more involved with the use optical aids. The lorgnette enabled women to view their surroundings clearly, but it was also used for social and decorative purposes. A large portion of the social life of European ladies involved the observation of the people around them, especially the attendance of others at events such as opera or theatre. The lorgnette was part of the elegant games of

high society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

. The use of lorgnettes allowed women of high society to easily scrutinise objects of interest without directly facing their subject. The exact specificities of the time, people involved and nature of the

invention An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an i ...

of the lorgnette is debatable. Some sources credit English scientist George Adams the elder with their invention around 1770. Others cite his son George Adams the younger as their inventor around 1780, although he himself credits his father with their invention in his 1789 book ''An Essay on Vision''. In this work, the lorgnette was described as "a kind of substitute for spectacles. Both eyes are used at once, without any effort", and was accompanied with an illustration. It is also mentioned that the lorgnette was contrived to allow for more convenience and ease in looking at any occasional object. Early versions of the lorgnette were focused on the practicality and functionality of the spectacles to the user due to their round rims and heavier, undecorated designs. However, over time, the lorgnette began to serve as more of a decorative accessory, especially for women attending opera or theatre.

Fashion and popular culture

The lorgnette was presented as a necessity for

English women Women in England are women who live in or are from England. The ''A Guide to English Culture and Customs'' described the English women of the United Kingdom to be "equal to men, and should be treated fairly" and that they do "equal share of (... ...

who suffer from shortness of sight as well as a fashionable piece of accessory. It was presented as an attractive alternative to conventional eyeglasses and spectacles, which were considered as unbecoming for women to wear out in public. Over time, emphasis of the use of lorgnettes shifted from its practical use to its decorative use. Lorgnettes were desirable for features such as how they could easily be carried around at one's own

discretion Discretion has the meaning of acting on one's own authority and judgment. In law, discretion as to legal rulings, such as whether evidence is excluded at a trial, may be exercised by a judge. Some view discretion negatively, while some view it ...

and how they could be quickly taken out and lifted into place on the face to swiftly

observe Observation is the active acquisition of information from a primary source. In living beings, observation employs the senses. In science, observation can also involve the perception and recording of data via the use of scientific instruments. The ...

or find answers to questions with grace. Lorgnettes were considered to be a great addition to outfits. This was especially so for women preparing their attire to go to the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

. As a vision aid and fashion statement, it was an accessory that allowed fashionable and vision impaired women to clearly see the action on the stage with ease and to partake in the games of

. The Duchess of Windsor is said to have owned a collection of lorgnettes and thereby to have brought the lorgnette back to fashion in the 1950s. She is described to have been especially fond of a particular lorgnette that “springs out from a small tiger handle of gold, striped in black enamel, emerald-eyed”, designed by

Cartier Cartier may refer to: People * Cartier (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Cartier Martin (born 1984), American basketball player Places * Cartier Island, an island north-west of Australia that is part of Australia' ...

in Paris.

Leonora Corbett Leonora Corbett (28 June 1908 – 29 July 1960) was an English actress, noted for her charm and elegance in stage roles, and for a number of films made in the 1930s. Life and career Corbett was born in London, the daughter of Richard Ashwin Cor ...

, an English actress, is said to have owned a “diamond set lorgnette that opens when she presses the second diamond from the top of its twisted golden handle” designed by Sterlé of Paris. In the oil on canvas portrait of Louise von Wertheimstein (Vienna 1813–1890), born Biedermann, she is seen to be holding a lorgnette in her right hand as she poses for her painting.

Notes

References