Scissors-glasses (or binocles-ciseaux) are

eyeglasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (American English), spectacles (Commonwealth English), or colloquially as specs, are Visual perception, vision eyewear with clear or tinted lens (optics), lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front ...

, normally used to correct distance vision, mounted on scissoring stems rather than on temple stems as modern eyeglasses are. The invention of scissors-glasses solved the problem of the single-lensed

monocle A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens placed in front of the eye and held in place by the eye socket itself. Often, to avoid losing the monoc ...

or "quizzing glass", thought to be tiresome to the eye, by providing two lenses on a Y-shaped frame. They usually had a ring in the end of the handle so that they could be worn on a ribbon or gold chain around the neck. Elegant examples, often gilded and highly ornamented, became common among the more fashionable members of French and German society in the second half of the 18th century.

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, Lafayette and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

used scissors-glasses. In French they are called ''binocles'' or ''binocles-ciseaux'', and the French scissors-glasses are more delicate and ornate and more of a fashion accessory than those made in other parts of Europe. The

lorgnette A lorgnette () is a pair of glasses, spectacles 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, f ...

may have developed from scissors-glasses.

References

* Richard Corson, ''Fashions in eyeglasses'', 1980 * Valerie Steele, ''Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion, Volume 1'', 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Scissors-Glasses 18th-century fashion 19th-century fashion Glasses Optometry