Doe and Hope

Description

The scarce pair of deep dished optometrists wall mirrors, one being concave, one convex, and each with an oak frame and ‘tram line’ border, the original thick plates in tact, to the original pine backing boards and link chain attachments, one with a paper label reading “S. Walton F.B.O.A qualified optician 517 Stanhope Road, Tyne Dock” and surviving from the first quarter of twentieth century England.

The mirrors are in superb, very attractive, nigh-on totally original condition. The original plate glass has lovely consistent spotting and foxing to the wholes. The reverses show the pine backing still remaining though the paper has been disturbed in some areas. The original opticians label remains to one of the mirrors.

A plus or concave mirror adds positive vergence, whilst a minus convex mirror adds minus vergence. Thus, with some illumination, an optician would have focused the light into the eye in a more concentrated way.

The opticians practice mentioned here are still operating today at the same address in Tyneside. It is a community optical practice located at the Tyne Dock end of Stanhope Road on the site of the old Sidney Walton Opticians which was originally opened in 1926, when these mirrors would have no doubt been part of the opening interior.

Very hard to find a pair of these in such original condition, a real delight of optics and a decorators dream.