Edward Scarlett

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Edward Scarlett (* around 1688 ; † 1743 in London ) was an optician and specialist retailer for optical devices in London with a very wide range of optical devices, instruments, glasses and his own lens grinding shop.

He opened his shop, The Archimedes & The Globe , in 1705, after completing his training as a glasses maker, in Dean Street near St. Anne's Church, London / Soho. In 1727 Scarlett was named "His Majesty King George II's Optician". His son Edward Scarlett jun. (* around 1702; † around 1779) later continued the business and also opened a second shop or workshop, also in London. At least the son also had his own production of complete optical products (microscopes / telescopes). Due to the fact that father and son have the same name, inventions or further developments of the two cannot always be clearly assigned to one of the two.

Edward Scarlett's Trade Card (1714-1727)

Edward Scarlett Sen. became famous in modern times by finding three trading cards, the Edward Scarlett's Trade Card. The entire range of the optician Edward Scarlett can be seen in the form of drawings. The three flyers have the same drawings, but differ in text and print quality. One of the flyers bears the handwritten date 1756 (receipt on the back). The oldest of these flyers is dated by experts to 1714 to 1727 based on images of optical devices on the map and a royal mention. This type of trading card was a typical advertising medium for English shops at the time.

Edward Scarlett's Trade Cards are in the possession of

  • Bodleian Library , University of Oxford,
  • British Optical Association Museum,
  • Science Museum London.

Temple glasses, type Scarlett (~ 1727)

First known glasses frame with side arms. On the Edward Scarlett's Trade Cards you can see , among other things, temple glasses with round lenses and large snail-shaped temple tips. Since the Scarlett Flyer was created in 1727 (or earlier), it is the oldest mention, pictorial representation and advertisement for glasses with side arms (from the late 19th century onwards, then referred to as temple arms). These side arms did not reach the ear (thus no ear glasses), but ended at the temple (temple glasses) against which they press. For a more comfortable fit, you could wrap the temple end eyelets with fabric, or connect them with a ribbon for additional support and pull them tight behind your head. Temple glasses of this type (with a snail-shaped temple end) are internationally known today as Scarlett Spectacles and only a few original ones (approx .: 5 pieces) are still available from this time. Edward Scarlett Sr. as well as his son Edward Scarlett jun. many have claimed an invention for themselves, but never included a frame or a frame component of a pair of glasses. Therefore, Edward Scarlett Sen. is not considered the inventor of the temple glasses, but as the first to advertise them. In addition to the temple glasses, the flyer also includes temple glasses (two mounted glasses with a temple or arched bridge in between) including a case, which were already available in this form from the end of the 16th century.

Scarlett Focus Marks

Edward Scarlett Sen., together with the mathematician John Hadley (1682–1744), developed an improved classification of strengths and, in parallel, a more reproducible grinding technique for spectacle lenses (around 1720). The resulting relative glass thickness information only related to reading glasses with positive strengths. The values ​​resulted from the measured focal length in inches and were an indication of age (45, 50, 55, ...) which was probably first marked by Scarlett on the glasses frame. In addition to a corresponding description on Edward Scarlett's trade cards , King George I (1714–1727) also mentioned in a letter the improved focal length determination of Mr. Edward Scarlett.

Others

The first ever "temple" side glasses sold were invoiced in 1746 by Edward Scarlett Jun., London. For this sale there is a found receipt for a 'temple spectacles' (glasses with side arms) including a case for '14 shillings'. Unfortunately, it is not clear from the receipt whether it was about temple glasses or already ear glasses.

Scarlett made, among other things, polemoscopes (optical instruments with which one could see over obstacles) and tried not only to limit them to military use, but also to sell them.

Around 1733 Scarlett was commissioned by Chester Moor Hall , the inventor of color-pure lenses, to manufacture a partial lens for the first achromatic lens . However, he passed this job on to George Bass . He had also received the subcontract for the other lens part and recognized the color purity of the double lens. Bass was later able to pass on the secret of the achromatic to John Dollond , who received the patent for its manufacture in 1758.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gerhard Stöhr: Barometry - History: The 17th and 18th centuries in Europe, with a view to the scientific and meteorological instruments in particular. In: freunde-alter-wetterinstrument.de. Friends of old weather instruments, October 2005, archived from the original on October 28, 2007 ; accessed on June 6, 2020 .
  2. ^ A b The Edward Scarlett Trade Card. Retrieved June 6, 2020 .
  3. ↑ A bit on the side. In: college-optometrists.org. The College of Optometrists, accessed June 6, 2020 .
  4. ↑ A bit on the side. In: college-optometrists.org. The College of Optometrists, accessed June 6, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Christoph Heyl: A Passion for Privacy. Investigations into the genesis of civil privacy in London, 1660–1800. 2004, ISBN 978-3-486-56763-2 (publications of the German Historical Institute London)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Scarlett, Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English inventor
DATE OF BIRTH around 1688
DATE OF DEATH 1743
Place of death London