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Opera Glasses " Luxurious Fashion, Spyglass Or Optical Device? |
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Written by Jeff Bridges
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Friday, 25 December 2009 08:51 |
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Opera glasses developed from a series of other inventions. All this started in 1608 when the Dutch optician Hans Lipperhey created binoculars consisting of two parallel telescopes. Their magnification capability was a (very impressive for the time) x3. Within one year the Italian mathematician and philosopher Galileo Galilee made massive improvements to the techniques and types of lenses used in telescopes, thereby increasing the magnification ability to x30.
by JeffBridges
Opera glasses developed from a series of other inventions. All this started in 1608 when the Dutch optician Hans Lipperhey created binoculars consisting of two parallel telescopes. Their magnification capability was a (very impressive for the time) x3. Within one year the Italian mathematician and philosopher Galileo Galilee made massive improvements to the techniques and types of lenses used in telescopes, thereby increasing the magnification ability to x30.
Binoculars of the time had one major disadvantage: Despite offering a much wider field of view than a telescope, they made use of convex lenses - which resulted in the image being inverted! It wasn't before more than 100 years later that Anton Schyrle for the first time manufactured binoculars with an extra lens that re-inverted the image. And it took another--1 years before John Dollond of England solved another big problem that binoculars had - color distortion. He started using achromatic lenses (color free lenses) and thereby solved this problem permanently.
Another major step forward was the development of prismatic binoculars by an Italian by the name of Ignazio Porro - a gunnery officer. Prismatic binoculars had a much wider field of vision than before and offered dramatically improved magnification abilities as well.
We don't find any mention of opera glasses in the printed media before the 1730 - in London. These rather primitive opera glasses were not binoculars - they were mini-sized Galilean telescopes. People used them for decorative purposes as much as to watch opera. The bodies were mostly highly decorated with numerous gems, enamel, mother of pearl and ivory.
It wasn't until 23 in Vienna that we first find mention of binocular-type opera glasses. These were in fact simply two small telescopes with a bridge connecting them. The telescopes had to be focused individually by extending the tubes.
They soon became highly fashionable. Going to the opera without one of these was social suicide. The designs became increasingly elaborate. Often you would find an optician, a painter and a goldsmith working on the glasses before they were finally ready for their discerning owners. Once at the opera, they were not only used to watch the stage though - they were also regularly used to check out the other guests to make sure there wasn't by any chance someone with a more elaborate set of opera glasses!
Within a few years the design was improved to make it possible to simultaneously adjust both lenses. This led to an immediate increase in the popularity of this type of glasses. They also turned into much appreciated gifts - as is apparent when looking at the inscriptions encountered on many opera glasses dating from that period.
Although there are nowadays a multitude of different types of opera glasses on the market, they fall into two categories: monocular and binocular. Within those categories you get all the colors of the rainbow and all the styles and materials you can think of. You even get opera glasses with handles and reading lights. One of the more unusual types is one with a jealousy glass - so you can unobtrusively watch someone else in the audience!
One way links:
Jeff B. has always loved the theater and opera, he currently helps run an opera glasses retail site where they sell opera glasses. Including Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more! |
