Card Players
Sunglasses
1956 (made)
1956 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded this 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.
Charles Oliver Goldsmith created this frame, titled ‘Card Players’, in 1956 at a time when materials were cut and shaped by hand in the company workshop. The card suit shapes were not simply glued on; rather they are part of the frame outline, which was cut by a specialist maker with a fretsaw. The company did not sell many of this style, but it was featured in the British press, in newspapers such as the Daily Herald (July 27, 1956). Although the frame was designed with publicity in mind, it is entirely wearable.
Charles Oliver Goldsmith created this frame, titled ‘Card Players’, in 1956 at a time when materials were cut and shaped by hand in the company workshop. The card suit shapes were not simply glued on; rather they are part of the frame outline, which was cut by a specialist maker with a fretsaw. The company did not sell many of this style, but it was featured in the British press, in newspapers such as the Daily Herald (July 27, 1956). Although the frame was designed with publicity in mind, it is entirely wearable.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Card Players (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plastic |
| Brief description | White plastic sunglasses 'The Card Players', made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, Great Britain, 1956 |
| Physical description | White plastic sunglasses with cut-out red and black shapes from one of each of the four card suits raised along the top edge. |
| 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 | Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded this 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. Charles Oliver Goldsmith created this frame, titled ‘Card Players’, in 1956 at a time when materials were cut and shaped by hand in the company workshop. The card suit shapes were not simply glued on; rather they are part of the frame outline, which was cut by a specialist maker with a fretsaw. The company did not sell many of this style, but it was featured in the British press, in newspapers such as the Daily Herald (July 27, 1956). Although the frame was designed with publicity in mind, it is entirely wearable. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.243B-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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
