Whitney 111

Glasses: Neostyle (Vela), late 1960's / early 1970's
[L: -1.75 / R: -2.00]

The inventor showed two pairs of vintage orange glasses to the model.

"They are beautiful. Two completely different frame styles. Are they both from the sixties? And what is the connection between orange glasses and this bridge?"

"Yes, they are. The smaller pair is characteristic for 1966 and the larger pair for 1968, give or take a couple of years. You can see the evolution of frame design in a nutshell. Orange frames appeared in 1964 and they disappeared from the streets in say 1970. One of my dreams was to become an optician. I was always checking the windows of opticians shops for the latest trends. There were strict thumb rules for frame choice in those days. Brown or black frames were for brunettes, orange frames were for blondes. Good that you ask about the connection with this bridge. It was my favorite place to stand or sit a while after the school day and simply watch the girls that came cycling past. You could check which trends in the shop windows were picked up. Not each new frame type became a success".

"You told me about the magicians in the streets but they were women, not girls".

"Well, as I grew up, the gap between girls and magicians got smaller and smaller. Of course many factors played a role in attractiveness of girls but I always regarded glasses as a bonus. Say the cherry on the cake. And that preference has never changed. Some women can create magic at every age. And of course my preference evolved. The girls became women".

"I get the picture. Your life story sounds very consistent. You should write a book about it".

The inventor smiled. "That job is already done. I wrote a book last winter. Most of what I told you on all the different locations is described in more detail. The manuscript is now circulating among my proofreaders. Yesterday evening I felt an urge to undertake this trip down Memory Lane and see some of the most important locations. It's a three hour journey from where I live to this part of the city. And I brought along some of the glasses in my collection as.... Well, call it symbols. And then there was you, near the doorstep of my Gran's place".

"This afternoon is getting better and better. It makes me feel like being a persona in your book. Or even several of them. You see, I am a model but also an actress and a performer. Now can I try these orange glasses? The large pair first, is that alright?"

"Sure. We can cross the street in a minute and you can try the other pair there".

The actress put the large orange glasses on her nose. "These lenses are almost my prescription. A touch too weak but not much. Great. I'm not a blonde but you can take a few pictures if you like".

"Thank you" (SNAP)