Monocles.

[Nick D]

The picture of her in your avatar is adorable You must be a very proud father.

My wife loves my monocles, though her favorite is the galleried one and my favorite is the rimless. Doesn't make me sneer, but I had to train the muscles around my eye to not move (much) while wearing it. I've actually found that the galleried monocle stays in better through facial expression than the rimless, which is odd. When I've got them in and am reading, the heavier galleried monocle has to be adjusted more often to keep it from popping.

 

[Dr Doran]

The picture of her in your avatar is adorable You must be a very proud father.

My wife loves my monocles, though her favorite is the galleried one and my favorite is the rimless. Doesn't make me sneer, but I had to train the muscles around my eye to not move (much) while wearing it. I've actually found that the galleried monocle stays in better through facial expression than the rimless, which is odd. When I've got them in and am reading, the heavier galleried monocle has to be adjusted more often to keep it from popping.

Good to know, my good Nick, good to know. And thanks for the compliments on little Dominika.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

I hope Doran will excuse my hijacking his thread, but I thought that some pictures of my small monocle collection might be of interest:

A simple rolled gold (?) monocle:

Rimless monocle (one of two identical):

Galleried monocle:

Faux-tortoiseshell rim:

My next aim is to acquire an example with a sprung gallery. I haven't worn any of these in earnest (indeed the first one is not glazed, as you may notice) but I have worn previous examples, generally only out in the evening and suchlike, in my student days. I've largely given up on the practice now as, being shortsighted in both eyes, I decided that having corrected vision in one eye wasn't a very clever expedient!

 

[Dr Doran]

Beautiful collection! Where did you get them?
My impression is that monocles are worn by many people today out of amusement, slight irony, fashion sense, and so on ... not really for corrective purposes. Certainly the few undergrads at Oxford who wear them don't really wear them because they need them ... according to my sources. They like the look. And the look of your brass rimmed ones is most beautiful.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Beautiful collection! Where did you get them?
My impression is that monocles are worn by many people today out of amusement, slight irony, fashion sense, and so on ... not really for corrective purposes. Certainly the few undergrads at Oxford who wear them don't really wear them because they need them ... according to my sources. They like the look. And the look of your brass rimmed ones is most beautiful.

Many thanks for your comments. I think the galleried one was bought in an antique shop here in Cardiff for a reasonable sum; the others were all eBay finds. I do rather like them, even though they are really only an indulgence on my part! Before I discovered eBay, antique shops and fairs used to be my favourite sources; I had four or more before those illustrated but disposed of all of them, which I regret now. All were of the galleried style, some with flat-base lenses and some with the other style (spherical base?) which seems rather rarer. One of the former had a faux-tortoiseshell rim over the basic metal frame. I'd really like to get another like that.

 

[Dr Doran]

My only one is silver rimmed and convex.

 

[Nick D]

Very nice. Would it be possible to get a detail picture of the edge of the rimless ones? The ridging looks different from others I've seen.

I'll post a couple pictures of my monocles (I don't think 2 counts as a collection [huh] ), when I get some good pictures of the galleried one.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Very nice. Would it be possible to get a detail picture of the edge of the rimless ones? The ridging looks different from others I've seen.

I'll post a couple pictures of my monocles (I don't think 2 counts as a collection [huh] ), when I get some good pictures of the galleried one.

Will do my best! Doran's post reminds me that I also wanted a silver monocle to match my watch chain, and didn't Galahad Threepwood (he of P.G. Wodehouse's "Blandings" saga, amongst others) own a black-rimmed one?

 

[Dr Doran]

Will do my best! Doran's post reminds me that I also wanted a silver monocle to match my watch chain, and didn't Galahad Threepwood (he of P.G. Wodehouse's "Blandings" saga, amongst others) own a black-rimmed one?

Everyone tells me I must read Wodehouse but I have not yet! I guess I'm just a philistine that way.
Nick, we'd love to see your collection.

 

[TraderRic]

Late to the conversation

Been reading this thread for a week or so. I'm also a monocle wearer. I have a gold galleried one that I wear on sundays and whenever else I dress. I'm thinking of getting a tortoise shell one for wear with more casual dress. I've looked at antique ones, but purchased mine new from nearsights.com. I'm not looking at bringing the monocle back into wide fashion, but I'm glad they're still available for those of us who want to be different in our choice of eye wear.

 

[TraderRic]

A note on P.G. Wodehouse and monocles

For trivia's sake, here are P.G. Wodehouse's Rules for Novelists (1930):

"(A) Specticles: These may be worn by (1) good uncles, (2) clergymen, (3) good lawyers, (4) all elderly men who are kind to the heroine; by (5) bad uncles, (6) blackmailers, (7) money lenders.

(B) Pince-nez: These may be worn by good college professors, bank presidents and musicians. No bad man may wear pince-nez.

(C) Monocle: This may be worn by (1) good dukes, (2) all Englishmen. No bad man may wear a monocle.

(D) Those beastly tortoise-shell-rimmed things: Never worn in fiction."

 

[Dr Doran]

For trivia's sake, here are P.G. Wodehouse's Rules for Novelists (1930):

"(A) Specticles: These may be worn by (1) good uncles, (2) clergymen, (3) good lawyers, (4) all elderly men who are kind to the heroine; by (5) bad uncles, (6) blackmailers, (7) money lenders.

(B) Pince-nez: These may be worn by good college professors, bank presidents and musicians. No bad man may wear pince-nez.

(C) Monocle: This may be worn by (1) good dukes, (2) all Englishmen. No bad man may wear a monocle.

(D) Those beastly tortoise-shell-rimmed things: Never worn in fiction."

Fine rules! In which of his works do they occur?

 

[TraderRic]

Rules

I actually found it quoted in a book I have called "A GENTLEMAN'S WARDROBE" by Paul Keers. It's a handy little book I picked up at Abercrombe & Fitch before they went trendy; back in the days when they still carried their 1800s safari line.

 

[Nick D]

My camera's not very good, these are the best pictures I could get of my monocles. Neither are vintage, both were made by me.

First my rimless. You really have to love monocles to wear these, I think. They're tough to keep in not only securely, but keeping the lens away from the eyelid.

This is my silver galleried monocle. It's got a long history. I made it originally a little over a year ago, and the gallery was quite different. It was wide and flat, instead of narrow and round, and the rim was square, so it more resembled a modern-made monocle. I ended up making a new rim after it got damaged, and moved the galleries to fit my eye orbit. Then I made all new galleries, so this is a whole new monocle. I also made the screw and mount.

It stays in much better than it used to, and is much more comfortable. If I make another one I'll make the screwmount round instead of squared.

The gent opposite me at the library computers today seemed to be quite amused by it.

By the by, an excellent monocle movie, if you get the chance, is the 1937 "The Prisoner of Zenda." It's a wonderful movie, and several characters are monocled (keeping with the stereotype of the aristocracy favoring them, I suppose.) The king and his double wear galleried monocles without cords. He tucks it into his sash at the ball and has to fish it out when meeting the (monocled) British ambassador. The villan, Black Michael (it's difficult to have Black in your name and not be a bad guy), wears a rimless monocle. There are a few others sprinkled around, as well.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Nick,

Fine work! I am struggling to get an acceptable photograph of the saw-tooth milling on my rimless monocle for which apologies. I'll keep trying.

Anthony.

 

[Sir RBH]

Doran,

Will you accept a little advice from a long-time monocle wearer? The cord has nothing to do with keeping the monocle in your eye. It just suspends it from your neck when you are not wearing it or helps you to retrieve it from your pocket.

If it keeps falling out you need to make sure that you have the correct size for your eye socket. Did you check that before buying it? Also, is it gated (a sort of ring behind the one that holds the lens) or ungated? Some people need a gate, others can't keep a gated glass in their eye. Finally, are you having to try hard to hold it in? It should fit naturally without any effort on your part, otherwise it will drop out every time you relax your eye muscles.

Alan

Monocles.. Something i adore

This was taken in April this year at a gathering in London
Kind Regards
RBH
http://www.fogeygentleman.co.uk/Fogey0013.JPG

 

[Orgetorix]

Great monocles...now how about some pince-nez?

 

[Dr Doran]

Great monocles...now how about some pince-nez?

RbGH and Nick, superb shots. Anthony, we look forward to your pics. Orgetorix, I agree, but also I want to see some lorgnettes. LORGNETTES, ANYONE?

 

[Nick D]

How about this?

I had to turn my head otherwise the lenses don't show up!

I've got a pair of sunglasses with the same kind of bridge, but modern lenses. They're actually from the character Morpheus from "The Matrix". Never saw the movie but like the glasses. They had a new bridge, same style but without the tortise shell pads. The bridge broke, so I put the lenses on another antique bridge I had.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Orgetorix]

Very nice! After seeing the Matrix, I thought that pince-nez would be cool things to have. I didn't get any at that time, though, because the movie was too recent and I didn't want to look like I was aping its style. Maybe now is the time to think about it again...