They say hindsight is 20/20. In that spirit, the Sutter’s Fort staff members are always looking at ways to reexamine and understand the past. In honor of National Eye Care month in January, we are looking through historical eyeglasses: did you know that the Sutter’s Fort collection has over 35 pairs, most dating to the mid-nineteenth century?
Historical eyeglasses had a wide range of uses, including protection, vision correction, and fashion statements. They were made using materials like ox horn, brass, mesh, fabric and glass. The lenses were sometimes tinted, like those of the cinder goggles pictured here. The sliding temple frame spectacles have a brass frame with temple pieces that folded down for compact storage. This made it easier to keep the spectacles in a small case, or pocket.
The eyeglasses within the Sutter’s Fort collection belonged to a diverse range of owners. The original catalogue cards provide some information, but often raise more questions than they answer. All we know about the ox horn spectacles is that their owner was of Chinese descent. We often cannot rectify these gaps in the records, but they remind us of the importance of detailed record keeping.
Interested in looking through more of the Sutter’s Fort collection? Reach out to the curatorial staff!
Sliding temple glasses
Wire mesh ‘cinder’ goggles
Horn-rimmed frames