Spectacles (65.112)

Tinted spectacles with brass frame, 4 lenses in blue, stationary ones of light blue glass with hinged frames having darker blue glass. Lenses are octagonal, with a an arched bridge over the nose and telescopic side arms. The lenses have no power.

Provenance Narrative According to the donors, these sunglasses belonged to their uncle Joel Campbell, 1810-1901. Joel Campbell was born in Ohio but by the time of his marriage in 1837 he was living in Parke County, Indiana. The 1840 and 1850 censuses finds him in Parke Co., but in 1860 he was in Will County, Illinois.

Octagonal lenses and arched nose bridges like the ones in these spectacles came into use about 1835, continuing until about 1880. Telescopic pin-in-slot side arms like these are seen from about 1815 to 1860. The time frame for these features' overlap thus dates the spectacles to about 1835-1860.

Signatures/Marks Schneider touchmark