Artifacts (Eyewear Only)

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Anne’s Contact Information

QUESTIONS & DONATIONS 
Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Curator 
325 Human Ecology
Phone: (780) 492-3604
Email
Academic Profile

Vlada Contact Information

RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS 
Vlada Blinova, Collections Manager 
103 Human Ecology 
Phone: (780) 492-2528 
Email
Academic Profile

 

 

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Eyewear: Fashion with Vision

Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Cybil Cameron, Katelin Karbonik, Naomi Milne, 
Katie Mooney, Danielle Peel, and Donnalee Riley co-curators.
November 23, 2016, to February 5, 2017

This exhibition is part of the undergraduate course “Nineteenth, Twentieth and 
Twenty-first Century Dress in the Western World” (HECOL 460) in the Department of Human Ecology

Sponsorship provided by USEED crowdfunding donors and supported by our community partners and lenders: Jackie Anderson, Bijan Optical, The Observatory Opticians, and The Royal Alberta Museum


Frames in the Exhibition

Click on visuals for more

Red and Green Striped Cat Eye Frame
“V” marking, size 4, unknown place of origin, ca. 1950s-60s.
Cellulose nitrate or plastic upper frame and nose pads, gold-coloured metal lower frame.
On loan courtesy of Jane Patterson.

Blue D-Framed Sunglasses with K-Shaped nosepiece, Double Lenses and Turnpin Sidebars
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1820s-1875.
Metal frame and black lenses.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.1).

Tortoiseshell Folding Lorgnette
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1835-1900.
Tortoiseshell frame and handle, metal rivet.
On loan courtesy of The Observatory Opticians and Jeri Ann Willis.

Yellow Rimmed Pince-Nez
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1800-1920s.
Cellulose nitrate or plastic, and brass.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.8).

Green Cat Eye Bifocals
American Optical, size “5-1/2,” place of origin unknown, ca. 1950s-60s.
Plastic hood and nosepieces, silver metal lower frame & nose bridge.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Mrs. Johanna Lawrence (1988.65.54b).

Black Cat Eye Sunglasses with Silver-Coloured Filigree and Rhinestones
Unknown creator and place of origin, worn in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada, ca. 1950s-60s.
Plastic, metal, and rhinestones.
On loan courtesy of The Observatory Opticians and Jeri Ann Willis.

Automobile Driving Goggles
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1895-1920s.
Mica lens, metal and felted frame, and cotton string.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Mary E. Herbert (1990.37.16.a).

Yellow Molted Sunglasses
Cool-Ray® Polaroid® 220, late 1960s-1970s.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Elizabeth Richards (2008.22.15).

Silver Oval Reading Spectacles 
Theodore Hamblin Ltd., London, Wisconsin, United States of America, ca. 1880s-1900.
Metal frame, glass lenses, and leather case.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.16a).

Clear Safety Goggles
Uvex™, assembled in Mexico of US components, ca. 2010s.
Plastic.
On loan from the Human Ecology Department’s Protective
Clothing and Equipment Research Facility.

White Protective Suit
Dupont™, unknown place of origin, ca. 2010s.
High-density polyethylene fibres (Tyvek Ⓡ ).
On loan from the Human Ecology Department’s ProtectiveClothing and Equipment Research Facility.

Chinese Rimless Brass Folding
Spectacles & Ivory-inlaid Wood Case
Unknown creator, China, 19th century.
Brass and cording.
On loan from The Observatory Opticians and Jeri Ann Willis.

Chinese Brass Folding Spectacles & Green Eel Skin Case
Unknown creator, China, 19th century.
Brass.
On loan from The Observatory Opticians and Jeri Ann Willis.

Black Metal Pince-Nez
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1825-1920s.
Metal frames, flexible bridge, and grooved plaquets with glass lens.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.3).

Wooden Slit Goggles
Unknown creator, Canada, Coppermine, Northwest
Territories, August 10, 1954.
Hand carved wood.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Dorothy Gray (2011.3.4).

Gold Aviator Sunglasses
Unknown creator and place of origin, after 1935.
Metal frames with wire coil ear grips, green plastic lenses.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Mrs. Johanna Lawrence (1988.65.35).

Monocle
Unknown creator and place of origin, ca. 1800-1925.
Brass.
Human Ecology Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donation by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.2).

Gold Bridged Rimless Hair Pin Pince-Nez
Creator and place of origin unknown, ca. 20th century.
Gold-coloured metal rim, chain and hair pin.
Human Ecology Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Bill Carmichael (2013.6.6).

Rimless Titanium Frame
Linberg, Denmark, ca. 2000
Titanium.
Anonymous loan.

Gold Metal Bauhaus-Inspired Frame
Casanova, possibly from Italy, Venice, ca. 1990.
Gold-coloured metal frame painted in black (horizontal bar)
with red squares, plastic ear cuff.
Anonymous loan.

“Great Wall” Eye Adornment
Jackie Anderson RCA Studio Jewellry, Canada, Alberta,
Calgary, 2007.
Sterling silver and 18K gold.
On loan courtesy of Jackie Anderson.

Grey Imitation Horn Bow-Shaped Frame
Unknown creator, purchased in Edmonton, Alberta, ca. 2009.
Plastic, metal and rhinestones.
Anonymous loan.

Tan Clear “Beta” Frames
Bausch and Lomb, Rochester, New York, ca. 1970s.
Plastic.
On loan courtesy of The Observatory and Jeri Ann Willis.

Tortoiseshell Frame
Unknown creator, Canada, Alberta, ca, 1980s.
Plastic.
Human Ecology Clothing Textiles Collection.
Donation by Johanna Lawrence (1988.65.52b).

Loggerhead Sea Turtle
On loan courtesy of The Royal Alberta Museum (L.02.2.2).

White Opaque Sunglasses with Horizontal Slits
André Courrèges, Europe, France, 1965.
Inscribed with “Depose Patent PV5262.”
Plastic and metal nails.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textile Collection.
Purchased from Deborah Burke (2014.4.1).

Large Black Frame
Unknown creator and place of origin. ca. 1975.
Plastic.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
On loan by Jane Patterson (2006.42.44).

Gold Rounded Frame
Artcraft, unknown place of origin, ca. 1960s.
12K gold.
On loan courtesy of The Observatory Opticians and Jeri Ann Willis.

Black Rounded Bifocals
Maker creator, Edmonton, Canada, ca. 1920s.
Gold colored metal, likely brass, covered with black plastic
until the ear cuff that is only of flexible plastic.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Mrs. Johanna Lawrence (1988.65.49).

Bronze Metal Frames with Tinted Clip-Ons
Magnetic Lenses
Easy-Clip, Italy, ca. 1980s.
Bronze-coloured metal, plastic plackets, magnets, glass.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Jim Whittome (2016.11.13a,b).

Tortoiseshell Sunglasses with Blue Lenses
Samco, Italy, ca. 1970.
Plastic.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Donated by Robert Kully (1998.24.9).

Tortoiseshell “New Wayfarer® ”
Sunglasses
Ray-Ban frames by Luxotica with “G-15” “100% UV
protection” lenses, Italy, Milan, first designed in 1952 by
Raymond Stegeman for Ray-Ban, purchased in Edmonton,
Alberta, November 2016.
Plastic.
Human Ecology’s Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Gift of the 2016 students in HECOL 460 (2016).

Tan “ Entrée” Clear Double Frame
Bausch and Lomb, Rochester, New York, ca. 1970s.
Plastic and metal.
On loan courtesy of The Observatory and Jeri Ann Willis.

Wood Cat-Eye Frame
Unknown maker and place of origin, on sale in Edmonton in 2016.
Wood and metal.
On loan courtesy of Bijan Optical.





This exhibition is part of the undergraduate course “Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Dress in the Western World” (HECOL 460).

Sponsorship provided by USEED crowdfunding donors and supported by our community partners and lenders: Jackie Anderson, Bijan Optical, The Observatory Opticians, and The Royal Alberta Museum.

QUESTIONS
Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Curator
325 Human Ecology
Phone: (780) 492-3604
Email
Academic Profile