Eyewear: A Visual History

For over two decades eyewear designer Moss Lipow trawled eBay, auction houses, garage sales, and flea markets worldwide, amassing glasses and photographs for his renowned collection. This book traces eyewear’s journey over the past 500 years, and features the finest examples from Lipow’s collection as well as pieces from preeminent collections around the world.

There is a wealth of examples included herein—from a rudimentary bone sunshield and curious contraptions of leather and wood to lorgnettes, pince-nez, monocles, aviators, and bedazzled cat eyes. Eyewear has experienced a surprising and fascinating evolution; what was once a purely practical apparatus has grown into a multibillion-dollar global industry catering to both the visually impaired and the fashionably inclined.