Glasses with a handleSourced
The lenses stayed in the hand rather than on the ears
A lorgnette is a pair of spectacle lenses mounted on a handle. The user holds it in place instead of wearing it over the ears or nose. Popular in the nineteenth century, it could be both an optical aid and a decorative accessory at social events.
A way of seeing also became a way of carrying an accessory.
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Lorgnette · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05