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Antique French Opera Glasses and Binoculars fascinate collectors all over the world.
The first Opera Glasses ever mentioned were in a London advertisement in 1730. These were monoculars; small Galilean telescopes. They were decorated with gems, enamel, ivory and hand painting, so lovely! But it wasn’t until 1823 in Vienna, that the first binocular opera glasses were invented.
Two cylinders connected with a bridge, each eye-tube extended independently for focusing. Two years later in Paris, Pierre Lemiere improved on these, and invented the center focus wheel, which allowed the focusing of both eyes together.
Kiln Fired Enamel Opera Glasses with Jewels and handpainted portraits. { Sold.}
The beautiful fine opera glasses were made by many craftsmen, not only opticians. Each one was worked on by painters, goldsmiths and other artists. By the second half of the 19th century they had become essential fashion accessories for elegant theatre goers. Given as gifts for holidays and birthdays, there is such a range of elegant, stunning opera glasses still for sale.
Exquisite pair of antique French Opera Glasses, above, made by Chevalier, Paris. This gorgeous pair of opera binoculars is unusual in that the barrels are decorated with embossed aesthetic scenes of Birds and Cherry branches, with the influence of the Victorian’s love of all things from the natural world.
I love the old Opera Glasses, but collect the more “every day” binculars as well. Covered in a range of materials from finest leather, to brass, to silver plate, to repousse metals, each one is a small piece of art, and a treasure from the past.
A fun antique to collect, they come in all price ranges, if you are lucky, you will find some still have their original leather cases, like the ones shown above! We have a range of opera and antique binoculars from France at FrenchGardenHouse….they are a favorite with our clients.
If you want to romance your Home and Garden with antique and vintage treasures to make you smile each time you come home, visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.
Some of these pieces are amazing – I especially love the mother-of-pearl striped pink/white ones.
I have an antique opera binoculars, bronze with ivory on the eye pieces – on one side is a girl angel playing a flute with a blue bird in the tree and the other side has a boy angel playing a fiddle with a bird in a tree. Can I find anything out about this? I do have the case too with it but it is well worn.
Hello. I have a pair of mother of pearl glasses. It says “La Rue Paris,” but everytime I try to search to learn something about them, “LaMaire” is all that the search returns. Were they the same company or is “La Rue” rarer which is why they are not showing up? Thank you for your wisdom.