Union Jack
Sunglasses
1965 (made)
1965 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A. Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in 1965. 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 designed this frame as an alternative to practical eyewear available at the time. In 1965, Mr. Goldsmith noticed that French fashion designer André Courrèges was designing glasses with narrow slits, and decided to use this feature here. Its whimsical use of the Union Jack received much press attention at the time.
A. Oliver Goldsmith designed this frame as an alternative to practical eyewear available at the time. In 1965, Mr. Goldsmith noticed that French fashion designer André Courrèges was designing glasses with narrow slits, and decided to use this feature here. Its whimsical use of the Union Jack received much press attention at the time.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Union Jack (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-painted plastic |
| Brief description | Hand-painted plastic sunglasses 'Union Jack', made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, 1965 |
| Physical description | White plastic sunglasses hand-painted with the Union Jack. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Artist's proof |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'December, 1965' |
| 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 | A. Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame in 1965. 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 designed this frame as an alternative to practical eyewear available at the time. In 1965, Mr. Goldsmith noticed that French fashion designer André Courrèges was designing glasses with narrow slits, and decided to use this feature here. Its whimsical use of the Union Jack received much press attention at the time. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.244N-1990 |
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| Record created | November 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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