Shah
Sunglasses
1972 (made)
1972 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in 1971. Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded his 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 named this frame 'Shah' after the Shah of Iran, whose wife had shopped at the workroom in Poland Street in the early 1970s. The frame was so small that the company was prompted to create a larger version the following year, titled 'Eddy' (T.245H-1990).
A. Oliver Goldsmith named this frame 'Shah' after the Shah of Iran, whose wife had shopped at the workroom in Poland Street in the early 1970s. The frame was so small that the company was prompted to create a larger version the following year, titled 'Eddy' (T.245H-1990).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Shah (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Coloured acetate and plastic |
| Brief description | Transparent acetate sunglasses 'Shah' with a shallow oblong shape, made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, 1972 |
| Physical description | Transparent square aqua frame sunglasses with a shallow oblong shape. Coloured acetate. |
| Dimensions |
|
| 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 | The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in 1971. Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded his 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 named this frame 'Shah' after the Shah of Iran, whose wife had shopped at the workroom in Poland Street in the early 1970s. The frame was so small that the company was prompted to create a larger version the following year, titled 'Eddy' (T.245H-1990). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.244T-1990 |
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| Record created | October 8, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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