Monocles

A monocle is a round lens used to correct or enhance your vision. They are a common British stereotype. They only correct the vision in one eye. They are usually associated with a time period in the late 1800's and early 1900's, where many wealthy rich men would wear them. It then grew to signify a stereotypical person from that time period.

Monocles are usually round, and tied to the clothing to avoid getting lost or falling off.

One of the first known wearers was Philipp Von Stosch who wore a monocle in Rome during the 1720s, to look closely at engravings and antique engraved jewels. The monocle, however, was not used much until the nineteenth century.

The single eyeglass was given a comfortable loop of a metal rim in the 1830's and has been there since then. In the 1890's an addition was added, called the gallery, which made the monocle sit better and avoided the eyelash getting in the way of the lens. Monocles were usually made custom to fit the wearer the best. Adding ivory or precious metals became popular, and were prohibitively expensive for nearly everyone, and when combined with a morning coat and a top-hat, the monocle completed the stereotypical 1890s look.

Many people in our current time period no longer wear lens such as these due to the advancement of technology and resources to assist in vision and eyewear choices instead.