When complaints are leveled at most reenactors it's not as much how we dress as how we treat our faces. Facial hair is suppose to be good enough to make a reenactor look like a citizen of the old west. If you wear a hat or period looking bonnet (etc.) to cover your 21st century coiffure we can forgive the hair. Women who part their hair down the center (men part on the side) and keep it tight, make a complete picture of 19th century style. However, no matter how perfect your clothing, hair, head covering, or look, wearing large modern frames destroys that impression completely.
Historically most people didn't wear eyeglasses or spectacles. They were a sign of old age and weakness. Most people lived with their impaired vision unless they could afford spectacles. Then they usually bought a ready made pair from an eye glass salesman. In many cases people never knew they were not seeing clearly.
When looking for period specs here's a simple guide:
Oval lenses generally start just before 1800 and go into the 1920's. Rectangular or oblong lenses are before 1800 to 1890's with octagonal appearing by 1840 to 1890's as well. Round glasses where not worn in the "old West!" Round Lens shapes where from before 1760 up to 1820. These round lenses never came back until about 1910. (The "temples" make the biggest difference when dating, however!)
Bridges between these styles of lenses may differ as well. The most common style of Bridge for the Old West impression spectacles were the crank design (1800 to 1880) an upside-down "u" with straight arms connected to the lens frame. Although the "K" style and the "X" type, with two pieces of the metal crossing in a long "u" shape(1800 to 1900), touching at the center may have had about the same era, it hasn't shown up as much in the samples viewed. An earlier style is a common upside-down long "u" connecting the frames and is called an arch (pre 1750 up to 1860). Styles most commonly available post Civil War include the scroll (1870 to 1920), "W" (1895 to present) and coil spring style 1900 to present). Nose pads did not become common until after 1900 with an exception of the Spring pad that began about 1850.
Temples are the clue to the age of the spectacles in most cases. For our period, and the most common samples surviving is the short lived design of the loop to loop slider (1840 to 1880). Next were the pin & slot slider (1790 to after 1870). and the long straight temple design 1820 to 1880). Pre 1850 are the short and straight temples and the hinged at center style. From 1770 to 1900 there was the "turn pin" style. Any spectacles that have the wrap around the ear or riding bow style, date after 1890 to present!* The temples aren't complete unless they also have a "final" which is the end design.
Temple finals vary also! Two styles in the Old West; small open teardrops (1820 to 1890) and flat beavertails (1770 to 1900). The others are: large round open rings (before 1750 to 1800), small round open rings (1790 to 1830), large open teardrops with wider temples (1770 to 1830), medium open teardrops 1790 to 1850), and small droplets (1890 to present). see previous images.
The connecting hinges where the temple connects to the lens frames will be bulkier in early styles. Most spectacles made before 1870 were hand crafted and numbers may be found stamped on the edges near the hinge that give the salesman a clue to what eye problem the individual may have. Some lenses may even be etched with a number as well.
Colored glass was used and usually for special reasons. The "D" frame glasses with side lenses that swivel to the front are usually dark blue or black and were made for people riding the trains in the 19th century. Shooter's specs were amber colored and "frosted" with a clear center. Green also seems to be surfacing..
I know you spent hundreds of dollars for those modern eyeglasses and
you hate contact lenses, but consider that many of the above eyepieces
or their equivalents can be purchased at an antique store for $20 to
$45 each and your prescription added for another $65 or so. That's
still less than what you paid for your 20th century styles.
(Prices tend to vary depending on the person making them fit modern perscriptions)
This is not the last word on the subject, only a guide. I found much of my research after looking at many original spectacles owned by Jim Miller, William Dunniway and other friends as well as listening to their "expertise" and research from the books listed below.
In regard to wrap around temples on
spectacles, I refer you to U.S. Patent # 139,909 by G.W. Meigs of
Hartford,CT. He received a patent on wrap-around temples on June 17,
1873. He notes in the patent description that these temples were
previously made only in Europe by trained craftsmen who hand forged each
temple from spring steel and then hand-shaped the hinge connection with
files. Meigs method used spring steel wire with the hinge connection
(and ball on the other end) added separately. All single wire
wrap-around temples I have examined appear to have been made using this
method. I have all U. S. patent information on spectacles and eyeglasses
for 1873 and earlier, and wrap-around temples do not appear in any of
the other drawings. Nor do they appear in any trade catalogues prior to
this date. I have verified this information with Dr. William Rosenthal,
author and spectacle consultant to the Smithsonian and owner of the
world's largest collection of spectacles, and with Jeff Handley, curator
of the American Academy of Ophalmology Museum of Opthalmology in San
Francisco, home of the largest museum collection in this country.
Alan has been visiting museums in preparation for his book on spectacles (a brief mention of his project and an article about spectacles appeared in the March 1998 issue of Art and Antiques Magazine.)