Glasses

From hand-crafted tortoiseshell spectacles to NHS plastic frames and 1980s designer sunglasses, this collection charts the dramatic evolution of glasses from medical necessity to fashion item.

Read more
Read less

Charting the development of modern eyewear, the collection includes over 70 frames designed and produced over a 60-year period by the British firm Oliver Goldsmith, in a variety of styles, materials and colours. Other highlights include a mother-of-pearl glasses case which may have belonged to King James II and a pair of flamboyant specs worn by TV persona Dame Edna Everage.

Features

Header image:

Glasses, Cutler and Gross, 1979, UK. Museum no. T.32-1995. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London