Monte Woman Owns Glasses 250 Years Old

TRIMBLE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 1/27/2011 at 08:13:08

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; Feb. 6, 1925

MONTE WOMAN OWNS GLASSES 250 YEARS OLD

Mrs. G.C. Trimble has a pair of glasses which have been handed down in her family for 250 years. The glasses were the property of her great great grandfather, who was a Virginian and were used as hunting glasses. The bows are of solid silver.

In those days nothing was known of ground glass, so the manufacturers used two sets of glass for each eye. The top piece was hinged to the bow and when they were needed for reading, the owner gazed through two glasses. For the longer range of vision, only one set of glasses was needed and the top lens was turned back on its hinge.

The bows are adjustable and worked on a groove so that if a person's head was short, he could adjust his spectacles, for his comfort, and the same was true of a long headed chap. The glasses were of course made by hand and expertly done. The only mark of identification was the name, N. Monroe, stenciled into the silver.--Montezuma Republican.