Mary Church Terrell, American, 1863 - 1954 Search this
Medium:
glasses:metal, plastic, glass, mother of pearl;
case: leather, silk, metal, paper, ink
Dimensions:
H x W x D (case): 2 3/4 × 4 5/8 × 2 in. (7 × 11.7 × 5.1 cm)
H x W x D (glasses): 2 1/4 × 4 × 1 1/2 in. (5.7 × 10.2 × 3.8 cm)
Type:
opera glasses
cases (containers)
Place collected:
Highland Beach, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
Place made:
Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe
Date:
late 19th-mid 20th century
Description:
Small opera glasses and case owned by Mary Church Terrell. The metal opera glasses (a) have inlaid mother of pearl decoration. Around the rim of each eyecup [LEMAIRE PARIS] is printed. The text on the left side is significantly deteriorated. The lens glass has some deterioration and the metal is tarnished. The green leather case (b) has a blue silk lining. There is a button closure to open the hinged lid. The sides seams are torn and the leather is abraded. The case handle is partially detached. There is a handwritten numerical notation inside the lid.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ray and Jean Langston in memory of Mary Church and Robert Terrell