Horn-rimmed glasses

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This article is about the eyewear. For the fictional character from the television series Heroes frequently called by this name, see Noah Bennet.
A pair of modern horn-rimmed glasses
A pair of modern horn-rimmed glasses
Two different vintage styles of glasses: browline on the left, and horn-rimmed on the right.
Two different vintage styles of glasses: browline on the left, and horn-rimmed on the right.

Horn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses with frames made of horn, tortoise shell, or plastic that simulates either material. The name horn-rimmed glasses refer to their original material, which was horn or shell. These glasses began to be popular in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s, and have been a standard for many decades. Over time, the glasses changed appearance and meaning. Later, they were known as dark, heavy, and plastic framed glasses. An early plastic, celluloid, was dyed and molded to look like an animal horn.

Another characteristic is their lack of nose pads. This differentiates them from other glasses, making the profile of horn-rims appear unique. Sometimes saddle bridges are attached to distribute the weight of the glasses. These are placed on the sides and top of the frame's nose.

Currently, as of 2007, the definition of horn-rimmed glasses has become more flexible. They are commonly referred to as a pair of dark, plastic eyeglasses with frames that range in thickness from about 1/16" to 1/4". The dark colored plastic stands out, giving the appearance of thick frames.

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[edit] History

Harold Lloyd originally made eyeglass wearing popular.[citation needed] In particular, he brought horn-rimmed glasses to the mainstream — his glasses were plastic. In Europe, frames were made from tortoise shell and were expensive. However, America made plastic framed glasses because it was less expensive than tortoise shell. Around this time, plastic frames began to be called "shell."

Lloyd donned his plastic horn-rims in 1917 when he starred in the short comedy film, Over the Fence. Oddly enough, the glasses contained no lens because of the reflection of the studio lights that would have resulted had glass been present. The purpose of the glasses was to differentiate Lloyd from the character he portrayed in the film. He could then go out in public without glasses and was unrecognizable. At this time, the horn-rimmed style was fresh. They were large enough to be dramatic without being over the top.

Lloyd wore glasses whenever he acted. He stated that "They make low-comedy clothes unnecessary, permit enough romantic appeal to catch the feminine eye, usually diverted from comedies, and they hold me down to no particular type or range of story."[1] Lloyd's seventy-five cent pair of horn-rimmed glasses lasted him eighteen months. He patched them with common adhesives such as glue and chewing gum until he had to replace them. The look could have been the catalyst for society's image of a stereotypical "nerd", who wears thick, black-framed glasses held together with tape. Lloyd influenced young Americans to become consumers of these glasses.

The glasses continued to be popular through the 1930s and worn in each decade following, with heightened popularity in the 1960s. Currently, in the 2000s, the horn-rims are altered to fit the times. Some trend followers wear the glasses without prescriptive lenses, purely as a fashion statement. The glasses are often associated in mainstream culture with being "nerdy", but are popular in emo, punk, indie, hipster, goth, and generally counter-culture fashion. Hot Topic, a popular clothing chain which markets to various counter-cultures and alternative lifestyles, sells the frames without prescriptive lenses.

The glasses have also become part of geek culture and in some circles are an extension of the term ("geek glasses"), as the term "geek" is, in today's culture, now more of a compliment denoting extraordinary skill or knowledge in a certain area (books, music, movies).

[edit] Celebrities and Popular Culture

Many celebrities through the decades have been seen wearing horn-rimmed glasses. Many characters in popular culture have also worn them. The following is a time line of notable appearances:

1910s/1920s/1930s/1940s
  • Harold Lloyd wore them in all of his movies, from 1917s Over the Fence to 1947s The Sin of Harold Diddlebock.
1950s
  • Buddy Holly, a popular singer and songwriter of rock and roll music, was known for his thick horn-rimmed glasses.
  • Eric Morecambe, English comedian, was famous for his horn-rimmed glasses, which he often used as a comedy prop.
  • George Reeves' character Clark Kent in the original TV series Adventures of Superman wore horn-rims to conceal his Superman identity. Most later actors who played the role of Superman did the same afterwards.
  • Urho Kekkonen, president of Finland.
  • Bill Cullen, American TV game show host and panelist.
  • Tizzy was a one-panel comic created by Kate Osann and syndicated by NEA from 1957 to 1970. The title character was a teen-aged American girl who wore horn-rimmed glasses with triangular lenses. In the early cartoons, Tizzy's hair was black and the temples of her glasses were clearly visible. After she went blonde, the temples were seen very rarely. Instead, the black frame around the triangular lenses seemed to be floating in front of her eyes, or resting on her nose alone. [2]


Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
1960s


1970s


Drew Carey
Drew Carey
1980s
1990s
2000s

[edit] References

  1. ^ Harold Lloyd: The Glasses. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  2. ^ Osann, Kate. Tizzy That Lovable, Laughable, Teen-Ager. New York, Berkley Publishing Corp., 1958

[edit] External links

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