Martin Wells Boy's spectacle frame in 'Library' style
 Catalogue Number: 3636 Martin Wells Boy's spectacle frame in 'Library' style Category: Spectacles and lenses Sub-Category: Spectacle frame Corporation: Martin Wells Pty Ltd Year Of Publication/Manufacture: c 1980 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Australia Publisher/Manufacturer: Martin Wells Description Of Item: Martin Wells boy's spectacle frame in 'Library' style, 120 x 40 mm, unglazed, two-tone black and clear shell, keyhole bridge, riveted side joints, hockey sides, engraved inside right side 125 MARTIN WELLS COLT, and inside left side FRAME AUSTRALIA 125. Size not marked but about 40/20. Historical Significance: Martin Wells was an Australian spectacle frame manufacturer founded in 1953 by business man Sidney Sinclair OBE AM (1915-1999), optometrist Eric Hurst and Dino Zigarelli, a spectacle frame expert. Martin Wells produced a range of spectacle frames in the 1950s and 1960s that were highly popular in Australia and ushered in a new era of fashion into spectacles in Australia. It closed in 1998 as it was unable to compete with overseas manufacturers. How Acquired: Donated by Jim Spencer Date Acquired: Jul 2018 Condition: Good. Slight yellowing of shell near bridge Location: Archive Office. Spectacles cabinet Drawer 17 |