Pince-Nez and other similar glasses

A great many Dickensian characters were middle aged and scholarly, although some, like Mr Micawber were not as scholarly as they would have liked to have been.  As such (m a & s), they would surely have required some optical assistance to pursue their scholarly endeavours, as with middle age, comes the difficulty (presbyopia to the initiated) whereby the arms are not long enough to enable one to bring the reading matter into correct focus.

Denied the ability to order designer glasses on the internet of the eighteenth century, the only alternative would seem to have been to purchase a pair of Pince Nez from the local high street optician.  This situation is confirmed by the would be illustrators of Dickens and the later film producers, who invariably showed their characters wearing such devices. 

Pince Nez, however, whilst widely believed by the public to be the correct designation, is not a term used by the profession.  The author can state this catorgorically, as there is nobody still alive to challenge it. 

There  were three main  types of such nose pinching devices: the Fitsu, the Boston and the Astig. 

The Fitsu ( a suitable prize  awaits any reader who can guess why this item which was designed to fit you was so called), consisted of two lenses held by a bridge piece with spring loaded pads, controlled by two levers at the front.  One squeezed the two levers, placed the thing in the region of the bridge of the nose and released one’s grip, allowing the pads to inflict severe discomfort. 

The Boston however had a different method of inflict the same amount of pain.  This device was made by holding the lenses together with a simple spring.  One took hold of the lenses, pulled them apart, positioned them in front of the eyes, released ones hold and … twang, one could see clearly again.

The aforementioned two devices however were not very suitable for patients with astigmatism.  For those readers unfamiliar with this advanced ophthalmological terminology, suffice it to say that persons so afflicted require their optical corrections to to exactly horizontal in front of the eyes.  The answer to this taxing problem was to be found in the Astig.  The two lenses were held together by a fixed and horizontal but expanding bridge.  So how was the discomfort inflicted you ask?  The expansion was controlled by the inevitable spring.  Pull the lenses apart, but this time they remain in the horizontal presentation;  and twang,  even with the advanced technology of the Astig, the pain remains.

It is not unknown for today’s customers to complain that the glasses supplied do not fit.  Could it be that the designers of the Fitsu foresaw the later introduction of the Trades Description Act and named their product as a gift to the complaining customer?  “Call this a Fits You?, huh!)

What?  Does anyone remember that there once was a range of NHS glasses frames which the spectacle wearing public could have, as of right, for a fixed and very modest price?

The range consisted of  nickel, gold filled and plastic spectacles.

The nickel frames were of a very basic design, circa 1920’s or maybe even earlier.  They were available with a “W” bridge, which was a piece of bent metal which appeared to be designed with the object of cutting  a furrow in the top of the nose and inflicting excruciating pain on the wearer, or alternatively one could have the more luxurious  “Pad Bridge” which inflicted considerably less pain on the sides of the nose (present day silicone pads not yet having been invented).  A further luxury was available in the form of the “Windsor” version which was the same frame with a covering of plastic, “Zyl”, basically cellulose nitrate. The nickel frames were the “1” series, Nos 111, 121 and the Windsor frames the “2” Series, 211, 221..

The gold filled frames were exactly the same but in 1/20^th of 10K gold filled instead of nickel.  The series was frames Nos. 311,321,312, 322,313,323, and the Windsor versions, 411,412,413,421,422,and 423.  Congratulations to those readers who observed that an unexplained 2 and 3 have appeared  as the final digits in these series.  The ”3” indicates that the sides are comfort cable curl sides as opposed to mere cable curl sides of yore.  The”2” shows the availability of the new high tech hockey end sides.

The height of fashion, of course, was the plastic frame, the first being frame no. 514 (cellulose acetate, ordinary bridge, hockey end sides),  but one could opt for the more advanced frame no. 524 (cellulose acetate, pad bridge,  hockey end sides).  There was however in 1948, a price to be paid for such indulgence, namely, one shilling and sixpence (about seven and a half pence in today’s money).

The 524  was soon overtaken by a more advanced design,  the 524H/J  (high joint).  This is by far the best known and most widely used frame of the NHS and remained the customers’  no.1 choice until NHS glasses were privatised in 1984.

Even in this world,  where nostalgia is not what it used to be, could there still be a market for the 524H/J ?  Follow the websites. Look out for “WE supply Prada, Gucci, Armani, Diesel and of course, the 524H/J”.