Scissors-glasses

Scissors-glasses are eyeglasses, normally used to correct distance-vision, mounted on scissoring stems rather than on temple stems as modern eyeglasses are.

The invention of scissors-glasses solved the problem of the single lens (ie a"quizzing glass", thought to be tiresome to the eye), by providing two lenses on a "Y" shaped frame. They usually had a ring in the end of the handle so that they could be worn on a ribbon or gold chain around the neck.

Elegant examples, often gilded and highly ornamented, became common among the more fashionable members of French and German society in the second half of the 18th century. George Washington, Lafayette and Napoleon used scissors glasses. In french they are called binocles or binocles-ciseaux and the french scissor glasses are more delicate, ornate, and more of a fashion accessory than those made in other parts of Europe.

The lorgnette probably developed from scissors-glasses. Since the two branches of the handle came together under the nose, they looked as if they were about to cut it off, and because seeing the mouth was becoming ever more fashionable in society, the English changed the size and form of the scissors-glasses and produced the lorgnette.