Lorgnette Collection

British Actress Margaret Rutherford
Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford, DBE (1892-1972) - British character actress of stage, television and film, probably best known for her later career as Agatha Christies character Miss Marple

Advertisement, Thomas Harris, Opticians to the Royal Family
Advertisement, Thomas Harris & Son, Opticians to the Royal Family. 1841

La Duchesse de Berry (1798-1870) c. 1825 (oil on canvas)
XIR39164 La Duchesse de Berry (1798-1870) c.1825 (oil on canvas) by Lawrence, Thomas (1769-1830); 92x73 cm; Musee Crozatier, Le Puy-en-Velay, France; (add.info.: daughter of Francis)

Women using lorgnettes
5307833 Women using lorgnettes.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting women using lorgnettes whilst enjoying a carriage ride in London. Dated 19th century. 01/01/1850); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Engraving depicting an elderly woman using a lorgnette as she speaks with her young granddaughter, 19th century
5308551 Engraving depicting an elderly woman using a lorgnette as she speaks with her young granddaughter, 19th century; (add.info)

Engraving depicting a man using lorgnettes to read his newspaper at the breakfast table, 19th century
5308553 Engraving depicting a man using lorgnettes to read his newspaper at the breakfast table, 19th century; (add.info)

A pair of jewelled lorgnettes; A French jewelled and plique-a-jour enamel dragonfly brooch; Art Nouveau plique-a-jour
1766488 A pair of jewelled lorgnettes; A French jewelled and plique-a-jour enamel dragonfly brooch; Art Nouveau plique-a-jour enamel brooch; a French Art Nouveau brooch pendant

A Parisian Society man, 1889 (illustration)
2069710 A Parisian Society man, 1889 (illustration) by Beers, Jan van (1852-1927); (add.info.: Societe. Caricature par Jan van Beers in: La Revue Illustree, France, 1889. Coll. Part. Social life)

Amazing and Muscadin, fashionable French men of the Directory era, 1796. The Incredible holds a monocle and cudgel
FLO4572577 Amazing and Muscadin, fashionable French men of the Directory era, 1796. The Incredible holds a monocle and cudgel and wears two watches from his belt

Study of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for the Painting 'Big Three at Yalta', 1945 (oil on canvas)
XJL60891 Study of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for the Painting 'Big Three at Yalta', 1945 (oil on canvas) by Chandor, Douglas (1897-1953); 110.5x90.2 cm; National Portrait Gallery

The Artist's Daughter in Fancy Dress, 1916. Creator: Laurits Tuxen
The Artist's Daughter in Fancy Dress, 1916. (One of Laurits two daughters, Nina and Yvonne.)

Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814-1878) wearing her wedding dress... 17 March 1841, (1841). Creator: Jan Willem Pieneman
Agatha Petronella Hartsen (1814-1878) wearing her wedding dress on the occasion of her marriage to Jan van der Hoop, 17 March 1841, (1841)

Tortoise Shell Lorgnette, c. 1936. Creator: Charles Enjoian
Tortoise Shell Lorgnette, c. 1936

The International Exhibition: the Algerian Court... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: the Algerian Court - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company, 1862. There are...two glass cases which contain stands of a rich transparent gauzy material

Passion Week at the Play, by Hablot K Browne (Phiz) Date: 1862

Lorgnette, c. 1940. Creator: Sylvia DeZon
Lorgnette, c. 1940

The Madness of the Day, engraved by H. Reidel for the Friends of the Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1913 (litho)
STC82084 The Madness of the Day, engraved by H. Reidel for the Friends of the Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1913 (litho) by Barbier

Woman mocking a stockbroker for his diminutive stature (colour litho)
6031045 Woman mocking a stockbroker for his diminutive stature (colour litho) by Gerbault, Henri (1863-1930); Private Collection; (add.info.: Woman mocking a stockbroker for his diminutive stature)

Fashionable couples dancing energetically at a ball, 1914
5893079 Fashionable couples dancing energetically at a ball, 1914. by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); (add.info.: Fashionable couples dancing energetically at a ball)

Fashionable woman in ball gown with tiara, 1801 (handcoloured copperplate engraving)
5986618 Fashionable woman in ball gown with tiara, 1801 (handcoloured copperplate engraving) by French School, (19th century); (add.info.: Fashionable woman in ball gown with tiara, 1801)

Dandy with lorgnette, era of Marie Antoinette
Dandy in black suit, breeches and stockings, holding a sprig of flowers and looking through a pocket telescope or lorgnette. Era of Marie Antoinette. Handcolored engraving by Ap

Woman in chapeau and redingote, era of Marie Antoinette
Fashionable woman in flowery chapeau and veil, wearing a fichu and green velvet redingote over a grey silk dress and holding a cane. Era of Marie Antoinette. Handcolored engraving by A

Woman in evening dress of blue silk. Robe du soir en soie bleu de lune pailletee. Handcoloured pochoir (stencil) etching after an illustration by Adrien Etienne Drian from Tommaso Antonginis Journal

Poster advertising Mobile Arm Rests for Balconies and Windows
SNG130205 Poster advertising Mobile Arm Rests for Balconies and Windows, made by Renard and Fabre, Paris (colour litho) by Guillaume

Snuff box, hand painted with a scene of different kinds of eyewear
MFR348331 Snuff box, hand painted with a scene of different kinds of eyewear, early 19th century (papier mache) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Fortune Teller and two Ballet Dancers. circa 1900

Advert for Parkins & Gotto 1895
Selection of novelty Christmas presents. 1895

In the ruins, is that all, front cover illustration from Le Rire Rouge
698816 In the ruins, is that all, front cover illustration from Le Rire Rouge, 22nd May 1915 (colour litho) by Faivre, Jules Abel (1867-1945); Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris, Paris

A Lady in a Levantine hat, a tiered skirt and a velvet jacket
AFC90692 A Lady in a Levantine hat, a tiered skirt and a velvet jacket, plate 6 from the Incroyable et merveilleuse series of fashion plates

On the terrace at Sevres, 1880 (oil on canvas)
PWI82838 On the terrace at Sevres, 1880 (oil on canvas) by Bracquemond, Marie (1841-1916); 88x115 cm; Petit Palais, Geneva, Switzerland; ePeter Willi; French, out of copyright

Dandy with lorgnette, era of Marie Antoinette
5893157 Dandy with lorgnette, era of Marie Antoinette. by Compte-Calix, Francois Claudius (1813-80); (add.info.: Dandy in black suit, breeches and stockings)

Fashion designs for visitors to art galleries by Paul Poiret and Philippe et Gaston
CHT392210 Fashion designs for visitors to art galleries by Paul Poiret and Philippe et Gaston, from the magazine Art, Gout, Beaute, 1925 (colour litho) by French School

Spectacles (colour litho)
6029774 Spectacles (colour litho) by Boilly, Louis Leopold (1761-1845) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Spectacles.); Look and Learn / Elgar Collection

The Monroe Sphinx, cartoon on the Monroe Doctrine, US foreign policy opposing European colonial expansion in
6000179 The Monroe Sphinx, cartoon on the Monroe Doctrine, US foreign policy opposing European colonial expansion in the Americas (litho) by English School

Bathing time at the seaside (L heure du bain au bord de la mer), 1896. Found in the collection of Musee de la Corderie Vallois

LE PARTIE DE WISCH
A well-to-do group of French ladies and gentlemen in fine clothes play a game of whist Date: 18th century

Portrait of a Lady with a Lorgnette, 1830s. Creator: Hampeln, Carl, von (1794-after 1880)
Portrait of a Lady with a Lorgnette, 1830s. Found in the Collection of State Art Museum, Yaroslavl

A Vanitas Still Life
NOR61470 A Vanitas Still Life by Saint-Andre, Simon Renard de (1613-1677); Private Collection; (add.info.: First Chapter of Thomas a Kempis, Life of Christ and warning against Vanity; ); French

Pavilion to the Fair Spring in Schonbrunn. Private Collection

Portrait of a child with a Lorgnette. Private Collection

A Flower Seller, 1900s-1910s. Private Collection

Portrait of the artist Maria Yakunchikova-Weber (1870-1902), 1885-1887. Artist: Serov
Portrait of the artist Maria Yakunchikova-Weber (1870-1902), 1885-1887. Found in the collection of the Malmo Konstmuseum

The Style of the Future, 1889
The Style of the Future, (1889). A print from Figaro Exposition, Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co, Limited, 4 Stationers Hall Court, London, 1889

Love Letter, 1901. Illustration from The Process Year Book, A Review of the Illustrated Arts. published by AW Penrose & Co, (London, 1901)

ARISTOCRAT ON WHEELS, c1900. Madame Richard Lesclide on her bicycle and a poem of praise by her husband, the poet Richard Lesclide (Jean de Champeaux). French advertisement, c1900, for Coca Mariani

Female Dress of 1896
Women dressed elegantly in gowns with lace trim or matching velvet jackets help a child taking a drink

Victorian scrap - The Duchess
Victorian scrap - People Who Want To Marry - The Duchess. late 19th century

The Nose Game - Commercial Nose E6, Denotes Shrewdness. 1927

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Lorgnette: A Fashionable Accessory Through the Ages" From British Actress Margaret Rutherford to the Opticians of the Royal Family, lorgnettes have always been a symbol of elegance and sophistication. Dating back to as early as 1825, when La Duchesse de Berry was captured in an oil painting holding her exquisite lorgnette, this fashionable eyepiece has stood the test of time. Whether it was used during Passion Week at the Play or spotted in Sylvia DeZon's iconic creation from 1940, lorgnettes have made their mark on history. The Madness of the Day engraving by H. Reidel for Friends of Journal des Dames et des Modes in 1913 showcased its allure even further. Not only were they a stylish accessory, but lorgnettes also had a touch of humor attached to them. As depicted in a color litho where a woman mocks a stockbroker for his diminutive stature while using her lorgnette, these eyepieces added flair and wit to social interactions. Ladies and gentlemen alike embraced this trend throughout different eras. From Marie Antoinette's dandy with his trusty lorgnette to women donning chapeaus and redingotes reminiscent of that era, these accessories completed their ensembles perfectly. Evenings filled with energetic dancing at balls wouldn't be complete without fashionable couples gracefully twirling around with their trusted lorgnettes close by. And let us not forget about that stunning woman in her blue silk evening dress from 1801; she exuded elegance while clutching her precious handcoloured copperplate engraved piece. Through centuries past and present, one thing remains true - the allure of the lorgnette endures. Its timeless charm continues to captivate fashion enthusiasts who appreciate both style and functionality. So next time you spot someone delicately peering through their elegant eyepiece, remember the rich history and sophistication that comes with owning a lorgnette.