Posted 13 years ago
whitman75
(349 items)
These are a pair of old Lorgnette folding opera glasses. These were found in a garage sale for a dollar...I thought really a dollar you can't even get a fast food burger for that price..Hahahah. Anyway had them checked out and the frame is 9ct gold.. These open and close very nicely and come with the original holder.
A really beautiful lorgnette!
I love the metal work. Really nice chasing.
The first photo shows what a nice piece of design they are even when folded.
Can I ask a couple of questions?
How do they open? Can you describe the action?
How are they marked? Are they French?
I'd love to see a picture of the case.
Is it a plain box or is it decorated?
I have one which is slightly different. I did not pay a dollar for it though!
A dollar?
Mine cost me $120 dollars twenty five years ago!
And I was as pleased as Punch to get it!
But I have found that when the two lenses are together it can be used as a magnifying glass as well!
They look earlier than mine. They don't have the spring action invented in 1825 by Robert Bretell Bate who took out a patent for ‘An Improvement in the Frames of Eye Glasses’ or 'Handled spectacles with a spring action, in which the lenses are designed to fold over one another in which position they look like a single lens'.
There is one slightly similar to yours in this set of nice photos:
http://southcarolina.aoa.org/x10955.xml
Hey thanks for the interest, I've updated pictures to show you. As far as the case its a small old leather case that fits them perfectly as shown in picture 4. They do work as a magnifing glass when together also. They dont have any marking to show origin only designs and I wish I could find out. They attach in a very simple and perfect manner in the 3rd picture you can see a little clasp at the top of the lense it folds down and connects to the other side like clockwork. Do you have any idea of how to identify maker or time period? Thanks again.
Thansk for the updated pictures!
Design numbers can help.
Does the frame say 9 carat?
Some others might be able to help out ....... I'm sure they will.