The seller of these items was A.L.V. Jenkins who was a bookseller and stationer in Warrnambool and obviously also sold miscellaneous goods such as spectacles. It is known that Mr Jenkins was in Warrnambool in 1910. The type of glasses suggest early 20th century use. These items are of interest as examples of spectacles used over a hundred years ago. They are also one of the few items we have connected to the business of A.L.V. Jenkins.This is a pair of spectacles with the glass intact and with gold metal rims, nose and side pieces and screws. They are in a brown leather case with a cardboard lining and a slot in the leather to insert the leather tongue that acts as a closing device. The leather is slightly worn and torn. ‘A.L.V. Jenkins, Warrnambool’ a.l.v. jenkins, early type spectacles, warrnambool

The spectacles case comes from G.H. Morton, an optician at 192 Liebig Street, Warrnambool in the 1930s and 40s. He advertised as being ‘near Bloore’s Corner’. The two pair of spectacles may not have been from Morton’s business but may have been stored in the case separately. These glasses and the case are of some interest, firstly because the case comes from the business of G.H.Morton, a Warrnambool optician for a number of years. They also have a social significance as representing the type of eyewear used early in the 20th century. This is a blue leather spectacles case with a wooden insert to hold the glasses. There are two pair of spectacles – one with rimless glass and a gold nose piece (there is a small chip at the edge of one piece of glass) and one with gold rimmed glass and gold handles. The latter has a small piece of metal attached to the side of the glass. On spectacles case: ‘G.H.Morton, FSMC, FBOA, FIO, by exam, London, Qualified Optician, Warrnambool’g.h.morton, optician, optician, warrnambool

This item was supplied by William Ferguson, a jeweller, watchmaker and optician in Timor Street, Warrnambool in the early part of the 20th century. He was Mayor of Warrnambool in 1901-2. It is not known to whom the spectacles belonged. This item has no specific provenance but it is of importance as an example of the type of object supplied by William Ferguson, a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the early 1900s. This is a spectacles case made of stiffened leather with a leather handle at the top that slides back to allow the case to be opened. The top of the case lifts up to allow the spectacles to be removed. The case has the name of the supplier (W.Ferguson) stamped in gold print on the side. The case is much scuffed and the leather is worn in places. It is empty.‘W. Ferguson, Oculist, Optician, Warrnambool’spectacles case, william ferguson, jeweller and oculist., warrnambool

Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Pince-nez is a French style of spectacles, popular in the 19th century, that are supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the nose. The name comes from French pincer, "to pinch", and nez, "nose". Although pince-nez were used in Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, modern ones appeared in the 1840s and reached their peak popularity around 1880 to 1900 A solid bridge piece is moulded to fit the curvature of the bridge of the nose. They are anchored onto the bridge of the nose via two small spring-loaded clips terminating in special nose-pads made from bone or tortoise shell on metal called plaquettes, which are tweezered apart for placement on the face through applying pressure to two small lever-like finger-pieces located on the front of the bridge. Plaquettes could be either hinged and flexible, permitting a better fit, or static as in the older examples of this type.. They were popular from the 1890s through to the 1950s, One half of a pair of lady’s Pince-nez eyeglasses with 1 gold rimmed glass lens , a gold style bridge and a fine gold chain that is attached to the side of the lens frame and to a shaped over- ear metal piece. eyes, spectacles, eye glasses, optometry, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers, pince-nez