![]() ![]() “Like all the early lorgnettes, it was constructed for one eye only and resembled one half of a fair-sized modern opera glass. Feminine interest in the lorgnette inspired many new designs, including the “jealousy lorgnette.” Author Kerry Segrave describes the jealousy lorgnette in her book Vision Aids in America: A Social History of Eyewear and Sight Correction: However, with the invention of the lorgnette, women became much more involved in the world of eyeglasses. ![]() Until the 17th century, optical aids were primarily the province of men. Whether employed to sneakily spy on a rival across the way, stealthily investigate a young gentleman down in the pit, or to merely watch the action on the stage, a lorgnette was an indispensable accessory for the 19th century lady about town. And since the name lorgnette derives from the French word lorgner-meaning “to ogle” or “to eye furtively”-one can only imagine the many uses to which a curious socialite in the balcony might have put them. The precursor to modern opera glasses, lorgnettes were a common sight during the 19th century at the theater as well as the opera. A lorgnette is, quite simply, a pair of spectacles mounted on a handle. ![]()
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