Icon-Icon Opinion : 

As glasses are first and foremost the expression of a certain style, this book relates the role of glasses in fashion, from the 11th century to the present day… A nice way to understand how and why glasses went from a practical necessity to a coveted accessory made by the greatest fashion houses.

Author: Moss Lipow

Publishing House: Taschen

Publication Date: October 2011

Eyewear designer Moss Lipow has scoured eBay, auction houses, yard sales and flea markets around the world to build his collection of binoculars and photographs. This book, which traces the history of eyewear over the past millennium, features the most interesting items in this collection, as well as models owned by other eyewear enthusiasts. Considering the variety of these objects – prehistoric whalebone snow goggles, riveted wooden binoculars worn by Italian clergy, medieval bezicles, lorgnettes favored by 19th century dandies, pince-nez and monocles, the first tinted aviator’s glasses of the 20th century, and plastic-framed glasses à la Godard – it is clear that eyewear has undergone an exciting evolution; What was once a practical and often DIY accessory has become a multi-billion euro global industry, catering to those with vision problems and fashion enthusiasts. This richly illustrated book is enhanced by essays drawn from a wide variety of sources, including texts, old catalogs and magazines, and out-of-print publications.

More than 1,000 examples of eyewear, each more extravagant than the last.

Covers nearly 500 years of design.