Vintage Eyeglasses

[Ghostsoldier]

Hanks' glasses looked great on him - I especially liked the look of the clip on sunshades.... while I'm going, for practicality's sake, I am sorely tempted to pick up a set of the clip-overs just for the sheer look of them.

Edward,
Same here, friend... ...I have several pair of the normal 'clip-ons' (of the non-hinged variety); I'm presently looking for a pair of the 'flip-up clip-ons' for my eyeglasses like Tom Hank's had in the movie...

....speaking of adding prescription lenses, does anyone have a link for a reputable company that can add prescription lenses to my vintage frames? I tried a company (found on eBay) that had good prices, but I let them fill a set of frames, and am less than satisfied with the quality and the handling (never again)... ....I would like to find someone who takes care with my vintage frames, and has a decent product....

GDW...those are nice AO's you are sporting...I have a stingy-brim similar to yours, also...looking at your photo, my wife says we could be related (we share similar facial features...) ...here's a pic (new frames with no lenses....)

Rob

 

[chanteuseCarey]

link for vintage frames- adding your prescription...

Hi Ghostsoldier, I just got mine back with the RX out into my AO 1940s eyeglasses. This place was highly recommended by a number of people in my local Art Deco Society and the vintage dealers we work with.
http://www.allynscura.com/
Here's mine again, I'm very satisfied wih them. DH will be looking for a 1940s pair ala' Glen Miller next.

goto:

Edward,
Same here, friend... ...I have several pair of the normal 'clip-ons' (of the non-hinged variety); I'm presently looking for a pair of the 'flip-up clip-ons' for my eyeglasses like Tom Hank's had in the movie...

....speaking of adding prescription lenses, does anyone have a link for a reputable company that can add prescription lenses to my vintage frames? I tried a company (found on eBay) that had good prices, but I let them fill a set of frames, and am less than satisfied with the quality and the handling (never again)... ....I would like to find someone who takes care with my vintage frames, and has a decent product....

GDW...those are nice AO's you are sporting...I have a stingy-brim similar to yours, also...looking at your photo, my wife says we could be related (we share similar facial features...) ...here's a pic (new frames with no lenses....)

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Thanks! I'll drop them an email....
Rob

 

[Michaelshane]

1940's B&L....I had bifocals put in these.

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[FinalVestige79]

Period Correct Eyeglass Frames

Well, I have searched high and low for period correct eyeglasses vintage or or not, I actually have a few sets with cases but none of them frame my face well, what styles were popular in the 30s-40s? I have some that are goldfilled with a bakelite coating on the earpieces. Any suggestions? I am tired of wearing these modern black plastic frames.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I got mine from

Allyn Scura in Calfiornia. They have a website, can do a Google search to find them. Was recommended to me by many people in my local Art Deco Society, and by my vintage dealer/guru "Miz Jula" of City Vintage. Here's my vintage 40s American Optical, I'm very pleased with these.

Well, I have searched high and low for period correct eyeglasses vintage or or not, I actually have a few sets with cases but none of them frame my face well, what styles were popular in the 30s-40s? I have some that are goldfilled with a bakelite coating on the earpieces. Any suggestions? I am tired of wearing these modern black plastic frames.

 

[Edward]

Also check out Shuron - www.shuron.com. I've been trying out some frames from them and am now making my orders; at this point, I'm looking at the Ronsirs (a 1947 design), but their Regis models look good to me too, especially the Regis I - those would be great for a 30s look, as a lot of their other stuff. Great company to deal with.

 

[Solid Citizen]

WATCH earpieces

Well, I have searched high and low for period correct eyeglasses vintage or or not, I actually have a few sets with cases but none of them frame my face well, what styles were popular in the 30s-40s? I have some that are goldfilled with a bakelite coating on the earpieces. Any suggestions? I am tired of wearing these modern black plastic frames.

My experience with non-coated earpieces on period eye wear is that they wrap around your ears & can really rub your skin raw if not adjusted properly. Bakelite coating etc. may help

 

[FinalVestige79]

Yeah I can understand that, mine are coated tho..but the bakelite is cracked and may be falling off. Thanks for the help Allyn Scura seems to be my best bet, would anyone know of any 1930s glasses?

 

[MisterGrey]

Wire rims and steel rims were the most popular frames in the 1930s and early 1940s. Steel rims were, as the name implies, naked steel, which were very durable but also heavier than wire rims. Wire rims had the advantage of looking nicer (with gold and silver options), being lighter-weight, and being malleable (although the most common shapes of the period were round and oval, with the P3 coming around circa WWII, theoretically an experienced optometrist could mold the frame into any shape the wearer wished). The drawback of wire rim frames was that they weren't as durable as steel rims.

Steel-rimmed glasses

Typical wire-rimmed glasses of the era

The 1930s also saw the end of the "Zylo" trend that had begun in the last two decades of the 18th century. This involved wire or steel rimmed glasses being partially wrapped in a malleable plastic, which served both an aesthetic purpose and also provided a second means of reinforcement to keep the lenses held in place. If you're going for a more "European-cultured" look, Zylo remained popular overseas until after WWII. Picture of Zylo-wrapped gold wire rim glasses

If you're a fan of the look but want/need to go modern-yet-period-appropriate instead of authentic vintage, there are several manufacturers who make glasses that are designed to replicate the look.

The late 1930s through the end of the 1940s saw some innovations in eyeglass frames, and was one of the first major periods during which eyeglasses branched out in terms of design and aesthetics. What we now think of as "half-rimmed" glasses became popular during this period, although rather than being held into the top half of a pair of frames with wire (as they are now), the lenses were actually screwed/bolted to the frame. Up until fairly recently these were called "rimless," grouped together with what we today know as rimless (and which at the time were often referred to as "three piece" glasses).

"Rimless"/Half-rim glasses

1947 also saw the debut of Shuron's Browline glasses, which combined a plastic top half of the frame with a metal bottom portion, the perfect fusion of old-world metal and the new wave of high-quality plastic which were to become a defining part of 1950s industrial America. They became very popular very quickly in the late 40s and became the best selling style of the '50s; they're a pretty versatile frame for period attire, as the frame retained its popularity through the first half of the 1960s and didn't really completely "die" until the middle-to-late 1970s.

Browline Frames



At the risk of invading your privacy, perhaps you could show us a (bigger) picture of your face? It would better help me (and other users) to help you get the right pair of vintage (or at least period correct) frames for your face and purposes.

 

[DanielJones]

You may want to even give the old ebay a try. I just picked these two up that I am going to have an Rx put into. The first pair shown I won for 20 clams and the second for 10.

These are circa 1945, 1/10 12KGF, B & L

Dated from November, 1947, 850 gold filled, no brand name offered.

From what I've been reading the style showed up around 1931 and remained popular through the late 60's, so something like these may be right up you alley. I assessed the size from existing glasses that I have that fit my face & asked the seller to give me measurements. They were very helpful. The size of lenses that fit my face range between 42mm to 44mm. Any bigger and they start looking goofy. Anyway once I get my reading lenses put in them I'll post some pics for reference. Hope this helps you out.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[FinalVestige79]

Thank you very much for all the input! Those are some sweet specs man!

 

[Highlander]

My two pair of vintage frame glasses. On, the white gold as close to Teddy Roosevelts as I could find, the others??? Anyway, purchased from my local optician from his collection of vintage frames at about 1/3 what new cheaper frames would cost.

And one from a different angle.

 

[Highlander]

My trends are more toward the 1880s in Vintage EyeWear, but I just posted my two pair of glasses frames that I got from my local Optician who has a large collection of Vintage Frames. Fortunately they sold both frames to me.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Nice specs, Highlander...I've got a vintage pair similar to the white gold ones...
Rob

 

[chanteuseCarey]

these are beauties...

Michaelshane and Highlander. Thanks for sharing these.

I've got my good 40s everyday pair, and am working on finding something for use as 40s style sunglasses now.

My Hubby Chuck has 40s suits and a WWII Army Air Corp Captain's uniform, so he's wanting something for regular eyeglasses ala' WWII Glen Miller, and a pair of 40s pilots' sunglasses too. The hunt continues...

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Nice specs, Dan...I've got a pair of modern wires that look exactly like those; thanks for posting the dates, as I wasn't really sure what years my modern specs emulate....
Rob

 

[MisterGrey]

The Shuron Ronwinnes are certainly aesthetically awesome, but functionally they're not for everyone. I wore a pair for a few months starting back in January and they just did not work for me. They require a lot of care to avoid any kind of bending or breakage, and their makeup doesn't make them well suited for individuals with larger heads or those with a narrower bridged nose (they also seem to not have their weight as evenly distributed as other styles of eyeglasses, so that they seem to put an undo amount of pressure on the bridge of the nose). I've talked to a few people who've worn them for ages, and absolutely love them, but I myself had to get a different pair. So I would advise trying them out for a bit before you make any sort of commitment to decide if they are indeed the right style for you.

 

[DanielJones]

Vintage purchase...

I just got these recently on EBAY!!!.

These are circa 1945, 1/10 12KGF, B & L

Dated from November, 1947, 850 gold filled, no brand name offered.

I'll post some pics once I get my Rx added to them.

I've been trying the type in good shape, that Highlander posted so as to convert them to sunglasses. I know Rayban makes a modern equivilent version in sunglasses but the lenses seem too large & I know the size I'm looking for is around 42mm to 44mm. Just a little patience I guess.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Viola]

Are what I think of as the "classic nerd" glasses (black frames, narrow rectangular lenses, not frameless on the bottom like the Malcolm X pics, but not as big as Buddy Holly's or aviator-type lenses) actually period or sort of a modern reinterpretation? If they're period what brands should I be looking at?

I'd like to price them - I need new glasses desperately and apparently this style is my guy's very favourite, something about librarians, I don't know. Boys are weird. [huh]