Need help dating antique sunglasses plz

[zannew]

I do not know much about vintage eyeglasses. I have tried to find information on-line pertaining to these glasses but have not had much luck. On the back of the nose piece is the word "Todd". The lenses are glass and the frame is metal - pretty sturdy. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[retro ruth]

Hmm, I'm no expert but I have handled a few pairs of older glasses. I'm not quite seeing antique. How big are they? Any I've had that were pre World War I were tiny tiny tiny.

That double bridge is unusual. I'm pretty sure I had a pair with that, which were tinted glasses with side wings, ie safety or driving glasses, but I can't find my pic to check. Mine looked 1930s in style but turned out to be later, 1950s/60s. However the plastic on the sides of yours looks older than that.

I would guess 1920-1940s, but hopefully someone else will weigh in.

They are great!

 

[Pinkcoke]

My first impression was 1930's too...and I actually have a very old fashioned optician's that has loads of original lenses that look like these!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Yes, I think they're '20s or '30s too.

I can't quite read the words on the bridge, but googling that word (assuming you can read it) might help. It also looks like the lenses have a logo or some such too.

 

[sMarie]

I did a google search for 'antique round glasses' and found a person who owns almost the same exact pair, except her lenses are clear and the frame is stamped wilson. She claims the glasses are 1900-1920 (of course she could be estimating) and military issued.

Perhaps Todd is the original owners last name?

It looks like many of the military glasses had the same double bridge and originally had leather covering the bridge and sides. People are tagging them as WWII motorcycle goggles.

Perhaps yours originally had leather?

 

[retro ruth]

Willson (it has two Ls) is a well known manufacturer of eyewear about whom there is a lot of information, they did indeed make make goggles and other eyewear in the early 20th century.

I've tried searching for a manufacturer called Todd but found nothing about the company - (I doubt someone would have their name engraved on their glasses - it is a manufacturer). I did find one other example with the same mark, ebay item 330806465924 - these have plastic side wings, and a similar plastic covering on the arms. The seller has dated them to the 1920s, but not with any evidence that I can see.

I think if these ones had originally had the leather sides, or some other side wings (there were also metal and plastic ones) there would be some evidence on the back of the frame where the side wings attached. I can't see that in the pics. You are right sMarie, the double bridge is characteristic of goggles from that period - however I had a pair with the same bridge turned out to be much later when I showed them to an expert.

Such glasses do exist without the side wings, ebay item 261118898376 is very similar (by Willson), including the plastic covered arms, and dated to the early 1920s by the paperwork that comes with them.

It's surprising that the makers mark on yours appears to be on the front of the frame, rather than the back. Perhaps there was a leather covering that clipped over the bridge.

I also now think 20s-30s, rather than into the 40s.

 

[zannew]

I know it looks like the name is on the outside but it is actually on the inside. The arms close in front rather than the back. Maybe that is significant?

 

[retro ruth]

That sounds strange - do you mean the arms and their hinges go through 270 degrees - a three-quarter circle? If so that's not something I've come across before.

 

[zannew]

The hinges have the arms folding flat in the front of the glasses. Once they have been opened up and the arms have have been extended they go no farther than 90 degrees. In this picture, to fold the arms in order to put in a case, they would each lay over the front of the lenses.

 

[retro ruth]

So how do the arms go over the ears?

 

[zannew]

They continue to open up until they are perpendicular to the side of the lenses. They just won't go any further. I may need to post another pic. I will try to get one tomorrow.

 

[retro ruth]

I think that's what I meant. To go from closed to wearable they have to go through a 3/4 circle, then. Unlike normal glasses which open a about a 1/4 circle roughly.

From the pics on ebay it appears that the Todd pair I mentioned above are similar. I imagine it's a hinge designed they can be closed even if they have fixed side wings, which would get in the way of folding the arms behind. On other old goggles the side wings are moveable to allow them to be folded behind the glasses.

 

[zannew]

I see how that would make sense. Thank you for your help!

 

[Matthew Scopelite]

I do not know much about vintage eyeglasses. I have tried to find information on-line pertaining to these glasses but have not had much luck. On the back of the nose piece is the word "Todd". The lenses are glass and the frame is metal - pretty sturdy. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I recently found a pair of glasses almost identical to these in a ravine off of the old Lewiston(Idaho) Hill Highway. This highway was built in 1917 and it ascends/descends 2000 ft in about 10 miles of switchbacks and hairpin turns so there's lots of old artifacts in and around the ravines from all the accidents that happened there over the years. My pair has one remaining lime green lense intact and a metal side shield. The nose bridge is missing, but the upper bridge is intact and slightly thinner than your pair. The plastic coating on my pair remains around the ear-loop on one side, and on the other side it extends almost to the frame. Besides that they are almost identical.