Spectacles Old And New (1963)

London.
A good story about how spectacles have been used over the years. It starts with an optician adjusting a pair of spectacles with a machine, he puts them on a girl who looks at herself in the mirror. Various shots of modern women wearing spectacles as fashion accessories.
Interior of the British Optical Association's museum where a woman is examining early designs. We see a pair of the earliest form which date from the 14th century, these are two lenses mounted in bone. A Chinese man is seen wearing the earliest form of rimless spectacles. We then see people dressed in costume from various periods and using different sorts of spectacles. Side pieces were introduced in the 18th century and were tied over the wig at the back. There were spy glasses so a husband could see whether his wife was eyeing up anyone else whilst at the opera. There is a quizzer which is an eyeglass in the end of a stick for a man and an eyeglass in the middle of a fan for a woman.
A woman in Victorian costume is seen wearing spectacles and holding embroidered eye shades over them. Back to the modern day and we see a woman in a hanging chair reading a magazine and another one wearing butterfly designs and talking on the telephone.
Cuts exist - see separate record.
FILM ID:223.06
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