Goo-Goo thumbnail 1
Goo-Goo thumbnail 2
Not on display

Goo-Goo

Glasses
1964 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame, titled ‘Goo-Goo’, in 1964. 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 transforming glasses from a medical necessity to 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.

Charles Oliver Goldsmith designed this frame at a time when the plastic was cut and shaped by hand in the company workshop. This design took roughly one week to make. The frame’s vibrant shade of green and slightly oversized round eye shape made it a distinctive style which was available in 100 other colours.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleGoo-Goo (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Coloured acetate and plastic
Brief description
Plastic framed glasses 'Goo-Goo' with a round eye shape, made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, 1964
Physical description
Emerald green plastic framed glasses with a round eye shape and straight sides with serrated ends.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5cm
  • Width: 12cm
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, titled ‘Goo-Goo’, in 1964. 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 transforming glasses from a medical necessity to 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.

Charles Oliver Goldsmith designed this frame at a time when the plastic was cut and shaped by hand in the company workshop. This design took roughly one week to make. The frame’s vibrant shade of green and slightly oversized round eye shape made it a distinctive style which was available in 100 other colours.
Collection
Accession number
T.244S-1990

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 27, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSON