Fuz thumbnail 1
Fuz thumbnail 2
Not on display

Fuz

Sunglasses
ca. 1964 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded the Oliver Goldsmith eyewear company in London in 1926. In 1935 his son Charles 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 Snowdon, the actor Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales.

A. Oliver Goldsmith designed this frame in the 1960s when plastic for eyeglasses was still cut and shaped by hand. This is a variation on another Oliver Goldsmith style called 'Oo-er', which drew inspiration from the square shape of the 1960s television set. 'Fuz' is a simplified reference to that earlier design.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFuz (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Plastic and glass
Brief description
Plastic rectangular-shaped sunglasses frames 'Fuz', made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, ca. 1964
Physical description
White plastic rectangular-shaped sunglasses with straight wide sides and serrated tips for a firm grip.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6cm
  • Width: 15.5cm
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.
Summary
Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded the Oliver Goldsmith eyewear company in London in 1926. In 1935 his son Charles 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 Snowdon, the actor Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales.

A. Oliver Goldsmith designed this frame in the 1960s when plastic for eyeglasses was still cut and shaped by hand. This is a variation on another Oliver Goldsmith style called 'Oo-er', which drew inspiration from the square shape of the 1960s television set. 'Fuz' is a simplified reference to that earlier design.
Collection
Accession number
T.244D-1990

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Record createdJune 23, 2008
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