Tortoise Railroad Specs

Description

Rare tortoiseshell and sterling silver railroad spectacles, c. 1830. A study of the silver hallmarks indicates these were made by silversmith Joseph Hicks of Exeter, England, who practiced until 1835, making this a rare and especially early example of this eccentric Victorian form.

Railroad spectacles were designed for passengers riding in the often open carriages of early trains. Hinged D-shaped lenses unfold on either side, designed to protect one’s eyes from the cinders, smoke, and sparks billowing up from the belching coal-fired steam locomotive ahead. This particular pair is remarkable in that the frame is carved by hand from tortoiseshell, which was then riveted to the folding silver temples and hinged to adjust the shell-framed sidelights.

Genuine shell frames are scarce because they were costly in their day and also very fragile. It’s extraordinary this piece survived period, never mind in such good condition that Hicks might have done the final polish yesterday. And despite its 200 years, the inventive, sculptural form feels like it belongs to the future, not the past.

Imagine: 1832. You’re taking your first rail trip aboard the cutting-edge Liverpool and Manchester line. The engine roars and starts forward, your car lurches and quakes, and as black smoke cleaves the blue-tinted sky above, you hold your railroad spectacles – and your breath – as the train hurtles forward at the heretofore unimaginable speed of thirty miles per hour.

Recently acquired from an important private collection of antique eyewear.

Measurements

Frame front: 4.75 inches across
Temples: 6.75 inches long (at a curve)

Condition

Excellent antique condition.

Shipping

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