Lorgnon

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Lorgnon Wilhelmina von Hallwyls from the 1920s

The lorgnon ( IPA : [lɔrˈnjõː] , a borrowed from French , from lorgner = "to stare", "to look", "to look"), also called lorgnette or stem glasses , is a visual aid that can be attached to the hand with the help of a handle is held in front of the eyes and not over hangers to the ears.

description

Unfolded lorgnette, around 1909 in a museum

The handle can be connected to a lens (Lorgnon) or two lenses (Lorgnette) by a handle. A ribbon or chain is often attached to the handle, with which the lorgnon can be carried around the neck or on the belt. It was mainly used by women.

Lorgnette (1810s), in which the glasses are on top of each other

The handle for holding up has the shape of a stem, which distinguishes the lorgnette from the older pair of scissors glasses, which have a scissor-like connection below the glasses, by which the glasses can be held.

history

The lorgnette probably had its origins as inverted riveted glasses , which were already known in the 15th century. The resulting scissor glasses conquered German-speaking countries in the 18th century. At the turn of the 19th, the lorgnon was very popular in France; around this time the stem-shaped handle was added to it.

A Lorgnette Hallwyls (1920s) pushed together, the bridge can be seen at the top right, which connects the two glasses, which are one above the other in this state.

The foldable or foldable lorgnette, also known as “folding glasses”, was an essential technical innovation. The two lenses can be folded together by flaps (with symmetrical lenses) or pushed one behind the other (with round lenses) and opened if necessary. When pushed together, the springs in the hinges between the bridge and the round lenses are strongly tensioned; when opened they unfold, but retain sufficient tension to keep the bridge and lenses stretched out in front of the eyes and the distance .

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: Lorgnon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Lorgnetten  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Lorgnons  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A lorgnon is a "single glass with a stem" that is held in front of one eye. Cf. “Lorgnon” (entry), in: Brockhaus Enzyklopädie : 32 vol., 19th edition, Mannheim: Brockhaus, 1986–1996, vol. 27 'German dictionary: GLUG – REG' (1996), p. 2150. ISBN 3-7653-1127-8 .
  2. ↑ A lorgnette is a pair of “non-bowed glasses to be held in front of the eyes on a handle”. See "Lorgnette" (entry), in: Brockhaus Enzyklopädie : 32 vol., 19th edition, Mannheim: Brockhaus, 1986–1996, vol. 27 'German dictionary: GLUG-REG' (1996), p. 2150. ISBN 3-7653-1127-8 .