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Home  Vintage Guitar Articles Music Opera Glasses " High Style, Spyglass Or Optical Instrument?
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Opera Glasses " High Style, Spyglass Or Optical Instrument? |
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Written by JeffBridges
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Friday, 25 December 2009 |
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If it wasn't for the Dutch optician Hans Lipperhey, we might not have had either binoculars or opera glasses today. He first started manufacturing simple binoculars in 1608. These were not much more than two telescopes connected by a central bridge, but they led to many further modifications and improvements. His early binoculars had a magnification capability of x3. Within less than a year the Italian mathematician and inventor Galileo Galilee made another drastic stride forward by increasing the magnification ability of telescopes to x30.
by JeffBridges
If it wasn't for the Dutch optician Hans Lipperhey, we might not have had either binoculars or opera glasses today. He first started manufacturing simple binoculars in 1608. These were not much more than two telescopes connected by a central bridge, but they led to many further modifications and improvements. His early binoculars had a magnification capability of x3. Within less than a year the Italian mathematician and inventor Galileo Galilee made another drastic stride forward by increasing the magnification ability of telescopes to x30.
Initially binoculars had one major drawback: Although they allowed for a much wider field of view, they used two convex lenses, which inverted the image! It took more than 100 years for the next major step forward: in 1617 Anton Schyrle constructed binoculars with an additional lens that re-inverted the image. More than--0 years later a certain John Dollond of England started manufacturing achromatic (color-free) lenses and with that solve another problem bugging binoculars - that of color distortion.
Another major step forward was the development of prismatic binoculars by an Italian by the name of Ignazio Porro - a gunnery officer. Prismatic binoculars had a much wider field of vision than before and offered dramatically improved magnification abilities as well.
We don't find any mention of opera glasses in the printed media before the 1730 - in London. These rather primitive opera glasses were not binoculars - they were mini-sized Galilean telescopes. People used them for decorative purposes as much as to watch opera. The bodies were mostly highly decorated with numerous gems, enamel, mother of pearl and ivory.
It wasn't until 23 in Vienna that we first find mention of binocular-type opera glasses. These were in fact simply two small telescopes with a bridge connecting them. The telescopes had to be focused individually by extending the tubes.
They proved to be very popular, however, and quickly became items of high fashion. The designs were so elaborate that one often would find both a painter and a goldsmith working on the end product. They were used as much to impress people as to watch opera - not to mention scrutinizing other opera goers to see if their opera glasses were perhaps more fashionable than yours!
The design was further improved substantially when it became possible to adjust both lenses at the same time using a small wheel in the center. This made opera glasses even more popular and soon everyone who was anyone had to have one. They were highly regarded as gifts - as one can clearly see when you study the inscriptions on many of these glasses dating back to the 17th century.
The variety of opera glasses available at present is very large. You still get monoculars, which are considered to be very stylish. You also get glasses with built-in reading lights and others with handles. You can even get one with a built-in jealousy glass - enabling you to discreetly watch someone in the audience without being noticed.!
About the Author:
Before you attend any performance make sure that you have a good pair of opera glasses. Here you can check out Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!
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