Panto glasses
Panto glasses are a type of eyeglasses with rounded-oval rims that are symmetrical about their vertical axis, with a slightly flattened upper edge and a fuller lower curve.[1][2][3] The style is distinguished from circular and oval glasses by its combination of a flatter upper edge and fuller lower curve.[4]
History
[edit source]Panto glasses were developed from earlier round-oval and pantoscopic spectacle forms used in 19th and early 20th century optical design and manufacturing.[5][6][7][8]
By the early 1930s, panto frames were being used in commercial spectacle design.[9][10][11] In Germany, Carl Zeiss introduced the Perivist system in 1932, which used high-set temples and pantoscopic lenses.[12][13] Panto frames were available in Norway by around 1938.[14]
The design continued in use after World War II. In the United Kingdom, panto glasses were among the spectacle styles worn by National Health Service users in the 1950s and 1960s.[15][16][17]
By the 1980s, panto glasses had reappeared as a retro eyewear style.[18][19] The style has continued to appear in eyeglasses and sunglasses collections.[20]
See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]- ↑ Hotstegs, Karl-Heinz (2007). Das Brillenbuch: da guckste!. Geldern: Eigenverl. ISBN 978-3-00-023242-8.
- ↑ "verre pantoscopique". vitrinelinguistique.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "Timeless Style". The Optical Journal. 2019-11-18. Archived from the original on 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ Christensen & Wille, Brille- og Instrumentoptik (1946), pp. 189–190
- ↑ Schmitz, Emil-Heinz (1995). Die Brille. Handbuch zur Geschichte der Optik (in German). Vol. Ergänzungsband III. Bonn: J. P. Wayenborgh.
- ↑ Buck, Susanne (2006). Der geschärfte Blick: eine Kulturgeschichte der Brille seit 1850. Werkbund-Archiv. Frankfurt am Main: Anabas. ISBN 978-3-87038-347-3.
- ↑ "'Improved' pantoscopic spectacles". Science Museum Group Collection Online. Science Museum Group. Object no. 1921-323/167. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ "Pantoscopic spectacles with oval lense and one piece side-arms". Science Museum Group Collection Online. Science Museum Group. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ "A-Z of Eyewear: Panto/Pantoscopic". The Eye Company. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ Santini, Barry. "Chasing Excellence Through Mastery of Position of Wear". www.2020mag.com. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ Andressen, Bernd Michael, ed. (1994). Brillen des 20. Jahrhunderts: vom Kassenmodell zum Designobjekt. Neue Sammlerbibliothek. München: Klinkhardt und Biermann. ISBN 978-3-7814-0371-0.
- ↑ "Lesson: OPHTHALMIC LENSES: THEN AND NOW". www.2020mag.com. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
- ↑ Rossi, Frank; Windoffer, Ulrich (1989). Brillen: vom Leseglas zum modischen Accessoire. München: Callwey. p. 139. ISBN 978-3-7667-0941-7.
- ↑ Nyquist, Kai (1961). Oslo-optikk gjennom femti år: Oslo optiske instrumentmakerlaug 1911–1961 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kristes Boktrykkeri.
- ↑ Gooding, Joanne (19 April 2017). "Rather unspectacular: design choices in National Health Service glasses". Science Museum Group Journal (7). doi:10.15180/170703. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ Elborough, Travis (2021). Through the Looking Glasses: The Spectacular Life of Spectacles. London: Little, Brown. pp. 252–255. ISBN 978-1-4087-1284-9.
- ↑ "NHS display set of adult and children's spectacle frames". Science Museum Group Collection Online. Science Museum Group. Object no. 1984-243. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ Heckwolf, Susanne (2009). SICHT_WEISE: Konzeption, Entwurf und Realisation von Brillen (Diplomarbeit) (in German). Fachhochschule Düsseldorf. pp. 64–65.
- ↑ Young, Kimberley. "Eyewear in technicolour". Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ "The Eight Shapes of Eyeglasses | V.Magazine". V.Magazine. 2020-12-15. Archived from the original on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2026-07-08.