Discoveries

Click here to view the two Greatest Anachronisms showing Eyeglasses. One is the unique 17th century painting of the Holy Family where Baby Jesus is holding eyeglasses. This had been missing since the time of World War I. The other shows eyeglasses in the Garden of Eden.

Click here to view the absolute greatest collection of optical objects in history. This collection had been missing since 1925, but now has mostly surfaced from research 2006 to 2010. It was all in storage at nine museums around Paris.

Close [X]

 

Newest additions to the website

 What's Coming Soon to the Website

Neat Discoveries
(6 so far)

  
Vision Aids are amazing! Their history is truly fascinating! As works of art, they have a beauty all their own!
Certainly one of the most significant inventions of all time, they are symbols of man's incredible ingenuity and craftsmanship!
Embrace the profound impact that spectacles alone have had on the human experience over the past 730 years.
Yet they are taken for granted by nearly everyone worldwide!

Starting with the Introduction and Goals, wander through this non-commercial, not for profit, website. You may find it enlightening and informative to learn about these wonderful items many of us use daily. Look at the Table of Contents. This website is the result of the collaboration of International educators and is for everyone’s interest and enjoyment. It is the place where we celebrate vision aids, (and the optical lens), especially spectacles. The Real Numbers of this website keep growing because Interesting Topics and Slideshows are added regularly. All this would not have been possible without the wonderful support of many noteworthy Contributing Individuals and Participating Institutions. To improve navigation of the website, we have added Quick Links for people with special interests.
Georges De La Tour (1593-1652), Saint Jerome Reading a Letter, French, oil on canvas, 1620’s, on display at the Museo del Prado, permission granted by the Department of Labor and Immigration of the Government of Spain.
Georges De La Tour (1593-1652), Saint Jerome Reading a Letter, French, oil on canvas, 1620’s, on display at the Museo del Prado, permission granted by the Department of Labor and Immigration of the Government of Spain.		 Solid gold, single draw spyglass, hand painted enamel on the handle, late 18th c., from the Collection of Baroness Salomon de Rothschild, born Adele von Rothschild (1843-1922). Earlier, the spyglass belonged to her father, Baron Mayer Karl von Rothschild (1820-1886), Musée National de la Renaissance, Château d'Ecouen, France. Possibly unique.
Solid gold, single draw spyglass, hand painted enamel on the handle, late 18th c., from the Collection of Baroness Salomon de Rothschild, born Adele von Rothschild (1843-1922). Earlier, the spyglass belonged to her father, Baron Mayer Karl von Rothschild (1820-1886), Musée National de la Renaissance, Château d'Ecouen, France. Possibly unique.		 Tortoiseshell, English, circa 1830. Front +1.25, right side – 15.00 diopters, left side + 5.50 diopters. These function like a telescope because of the extra side lenses. This creates the equivalent of a basic Galilean telescope; the concave lens serves as the ocular lens (eyepiece) while the convex lens serves as the objective. Probably unique.
Tortoiseshell, English, circa 1830. Front +1.25, right side – 15.00 diopters, left side + 5.50 diopters. These function like a telescope because of the extra side lenses. This creates the equivalent of a basic Galilean telescope; the concave lens serves as the ocular lens (eyepiece) while the convex lens serves as the objective. Probably unique. 		Domingo Echevarria, “Chavarito" (1676-1751), Death of Holy Teresa, oil on canvas,: c. 1712-1715, Inv. #CE-0251-04, Copyright Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada
Domingo Echevarria, “Chavarito" (1676-1751), Death of Holy Teresa, oil on canvas,: c. 1712-1715, Inv. #CE-0251-04, Copyright Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada
Charles Spencelayh, Fingerprints, 1953, oil on canvas, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, UK
Charles Spencelayh, Fingerprints, 1953, oil on canvas, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, UK		 Prism spectacles, part of a prism exercise set, used to strengthen horizontal ocular muscles, circa early 20th century, courtesy of University of NY, State College of Optometry
Prism spectacles, part of a prism exercise set, used to strengthen horizontal ocular muscles, circa early 20th century, courtesy of University of NY, State College of Optometry		 Polyhedron multifaceted lenses, horn frame, rock crystal, provenance the collection of druggist Heinrich Kinck (1638-1717), courtesy Museum Waldenburg, Waldenburg, Germany
Polyhedron multifaceted lenses, horn frame, rock crystal, provenance the collection of druggist Heinrich Kinck (1638-1717), courtesy Museum Waldenburg, Waldenburg, Germany		 The Astronomers from the Story of the Emperor of China Series, French tapestry, from the Beauvais tapestry manufactory, circa 1700, wool and silk, 13 feet 11 inches x 10 feet 5 ½ inches, as seen on Wikipedia
The Astronomers from the Story of the Emperor of China Series, French tapestry, from the Beauvais tapestry manufactory, circa 1700, wool and silk, 13 feet 11 inches x 10 feet 5 ½ inches, as seen on Wikipedia
Move your mouse over any of the images in this website for a larger view.
The images on this page are replaced several times a year. Previously used images are available in two separate slide shows.

[ Introduction & News ] [ History & References ] [ Identification & Preservation ] [ Public Collections & Virtual Museum ] [ Interesting Topics ] [ Education & Games ] [ Links ] [ About Us ]
[ What's New ] [ Coming Soon ] [ Table of Contents ]

The contents of this website copyright © 2003-2011, antiquespectacles.com. All rights reserved
This Site and any content appearing on it may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of Antique Spectacles, etc.

Updated 01/16/2012. Privacy Notice •Copyright Notice • Terms of Use • Contact Us
Unless otherwise noted, all images on this website are from private collections.