Music Notes
Sunglasses
1950s (made)
1950s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in the 1950s. Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded his eyewear company in London in 1926. In 1935 his son Charles Oliver Goldsmith entered the firm with the aim of making glasses a fashion item. From the company’s offices in Poland Street, his sons A. Oliver and Ray Goldsmith built upon the company’s reputation for attention-grabbing designs and solicited celebrity endorsement for their products. Key clients included Lord Snowdpn, the actor Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales.
This style gained wide attention in the 1950s after a similar pair was worn for various performances by the popular pianist Winifred Atwell.
This style gained wide attention in the 1950s after a similar pair was worn for various performances by the popular pianist Winifred Atwell.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Music Notes (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-painted plastic |
| Brief description | Hand-painted plastic sunglasses 'Music Notes', made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, 1950s |
| Physical description | Sunglasses with a depiction of musical notes and piano keys on hand-painted plastic. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by A. Oliver Goldsmith, in memory of his father, Charles Oliver Goldsmith |
| Object history | Registered File number 1990/200. These glasses form part of a design archive of the British eyewear company Oliver Goldsmith. The archive, which consists of approximately 70 glasses frames from the 1930s to the late 1980s, was donated by A. Oliver Goldsmith, grandson of the founder, and former chief designer at the firm. A. Oliver Goldsmith donated the material to the V & A in memory of his father Charles Goldsmith. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in the 1950s. Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded his eyewear company in London in 1926. In 1935 his son Charles Oliver Goldsmith entered the firm with the aim of making glasses a fashion item. From the company’s offices in Poland Street, his sons A. Oliver and Ray Goldsmith built upon the company’s reputation for attention-grabbing designs and solicited celebrity endorsement for their products. Key clients included Lord Snowdpn, the actor Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales. This style gained wide attention in the 1950s after a similar pair was worn for various performances by the popular pianist Winifred Atwell. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.243J-1990 |
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| Record created | November 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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