Opera Glasses

Object/Artifact

-

Windham Textile and History Museum

Opera Glasses, Bottom View.: The image showcases a pair of vintage opera glasses with a classic design, featuring brass and black metal accents, which exude an antiquated charm and elegance. These binoculars, likely used for theater or opera viewing, have a patina that suggests their age and adds to their historical appeal. The focusing mechanism is visible, represented by a central black adjustment wheel, which is a characteristic element of such optical devices. The lenses appear to be in good condition, hinting at the preserved functionality of this beautifully crafted object, which sits against a plain white background that highlights its intricate details.
Opera Glasses, Bottom View.

The image showcases a pair of vintage opera glasses with a classic design, featuring brass and black metal accents, which exude an antiquated charm and elegance. These binoculars, likely used for theater or opera viewing, have a patina that suggests their age and adds to their historical appeal. The focusing mechanism is visible, represented by a central black adjustment wheel, which is a characteristic element of such optical devices. The lenses appear to be in good condition, hinting at the preserved functionality of this beautifully crafted object, which sits against a plain white background that highlights its intricate details.

Name/Title

Opera Glasses

Entry/Object ID

2024.3.11

Description

Brass opera glasses. Lemaire Fabt., Paris.

Use

Before television, when visual entertainment was live, opera glasses were small binoculars used for watching live opera or theater.

Context

The Lemaire firm was begun in 1846 in Paris, rue Oberkampf. 22 & 26 by Armand Lemaire. They produced a variety of optical apparatus including binoculars. The firm operated until 1955. Lemaire exported its goods all over the world. Found along with textiles (mostly garments) in cellar of 151-F Pond Road in Franklin, CT. Some of the garments are marked RR. The donor believes the textiles had belonged to Marjorie Burnham Ayer Robbins, born 1897, in whose home they were found, and/or the Robbins family into which she she married. RR could have been Marjorie's second husband, Roger Robbins. Marjorie was born in Hampden, CT, in 1897, the daughter of Frederic Augustus Burnham and Mary Eleanor [Copeland] Burnham. She attended local schools and one year at the Bay Path Institute, from which she graduated in 1917. She taught school and worked as a secretary. In 1920 she married Joseph Eugene Ayer of Franklin, CT, a farmer. Joseph was born in 1893. He and Marjorie had two children, Eugene and John. Joseph died in 1926. Marjorie operated their farm for many years, and was still an unmarried widow in 1940. Sometime after that, she married Roger Robbins. She died in Franklin in 2003 and is buried next to Joseph on the Ayer family plot in Franklin.

Collection

Burnham-Ayer-Rogers Collection

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Lemaire Fabt.

Time Period

20th Century

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Manufacturer's mark

Transcription

Lemaire Fabt., Paris

Language

French

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Glass, Opera

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Device, Vision

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Personal Assistive Objects

Nomenclature Class

Personal Gear

Nomenclature Category

Category 03: Personal Objects

Dimensions

Height

1 in

Width

4 in

Depth

3 in

Material

Brass, Bakelite, Glass

Color

Brass, Black, Brown

Location

Location

Room

Archives

* Untyped Location

Main Museum Building

Category

Storage

Date

December 1, 2024

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Date Examined

Dec 1, 2024

Examined By

Eves, J.

Cleanliness

Cleaned when accessioned

Provenance

Provenance Detail

Found in the cellar of 151-F Pond Road, Franklin, CT, the former home of Marjorie Burnham Ayer Robbins, when the house was being cleaned out by family members prior to sale.

Created By

historian@millmuseum.org

Create Date

December 1, 2024

Updated By

historian@millmuseum.org

Update Date

December 1, 2024