Spectacles, Lorgnettes and Monocles (Shire Library)

Spectacles have been used since the thirteenth century, at first by the few people who needed to read, such as churchmen and clerks. This book traces the development and use of eyeglasses from the fourteenth century onwards. In the eighteenth century lorgnettes and quizzing glasses became elegant accessories of upper-class dress and fashion began to influence design. This new edition is illustrated with many new colour photographs.

The late Derek Davidson trained as an optician. After serving in the RASC during the Second World War, he started his own business and a workshop for custom-made fashion spectacles. He also began to collect old spectacles and was the founder of the Ophthalmic Antiques International Collectors Club. This new edition has been completely revised by the author of the club newsletter, Ronald J. S. Macgregor, a retired optometrist, who has been interested in optical history for more than 30 years.