Spectacles
Maker
Unknown
Datec.1835 - 1870
MediumBrass wire and glass
Dimensions5 3/4 inches (14.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Miss Jane Hopkins.
Object number2020.13
On View
On view
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextOn permanent exhibit in the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters Education Gallery, which examines the complicated history of relationships through family letters. Though Owens family correspondence could express seeming concern and affection for the people they enslaved in their home, their letters also reveal how they shared the prevailing attitudes towards people of color and their place in society.
The correction of vision became more important during the 19th century for many reasons: the rise of ophthalmology, changing environments, and fascination with the eye and vision in culture. There was an increase in social practices such as reading for leisure, faster locomotion, and compulsory education. All these new areas of contemporary life necessitated new visual standards and a demand for a high degree of visual acuity.