Recreational Holidays

Opera Glasses ” Luxurious Style, Spyware Or Optical Device?

If it wasn’t for the Dutch optician Hans Lipperhey, we might not have had either binoculars or opera glasses today. He first started manufacturing simple binoculars in 1608. These were not much more than two telescopes connected by a central bridge, but they led to many further modifications and improvements. His early binoculars had a magnification capability of x3. Within less than a year the Italian mathematician and inventor Galileo Galilee made another drastic stride forward by increasing the magnification ability of telescopes to x30.

Binoculars gave a much wider field of view than telescopes, but since they had 2 convex lenses, the picture that you saw was inverted. It wasn’t until 1617 that Anton Schyrle added an additional lens to re-invert the image. In 1758 John Dollond of England invented the achromatic (color free) lens and thereby solved the problem of color distortion.

The next step forward was made when an Italian gunnery officer by the name of Ignazio Porro developed prismatic binoculars during the ’50s. These offered an even wider field of vision than earlier binoculars and also a drastically improved magnification ability.

We don’t find any mention of opera glasses in the printed media before the 1730 - in London. These rather primitive opera glasses were not binoculars - they were mini-sized Galilean telescopes. People used them for decorative purposes as much as to watch opera. The bodies were mostly highly decorated with numerous gems, enamel, mother of pearl and ivory.

It wasn’t until 23 in Vienna that we first find mention of binocular-type opera glasses. These were in fact simply two small telescopes with a bridge connecting them. The telescopes had to be focused individually by extending the tubes.

They proved to be very popular, however, and quickly became items of high fashion. The designs were so elaborate that one often would find both a painter and a goldsmith working on the end product. They were used as much to impress people as to watch opera - not to mention scrutinizing other opera goers to see if their opera glasses were perhaps more fashionable than yours!

The design soon improved to allow for the simultaneous adjustment of both lenses. This was another major step forward and only served to increase the popularity of this type of glasses. They also became highly valued gifts - as one can see from the inscriptions found on many opera glasses of the time.

The variety of opera glasses available at present is very large. You still get monoculars, which are considered to be very stylish. You also get glasses with built-in reading lights and others with handles. You can even get one with a built-in jealousy glass - enabling you to discreetly watch someone in the audience without being noticed.!

Jeff B. has always loved the theater and opera, he currently helps run an opera glasses retail site where they sell opera glasses. Including Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!