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A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. more...

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The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing the monocle. The connoisseur of antiquities Philipp von Stosch wore a monocle in Rome in the 1720s, in order to closely examine engravings and antique cameos, but the monocle did not become an article of gentlemen's apparel until the nineteenth century, introduced by the dandy's quizzing glass of the 1790s, best remembered in the first cover of The New Yorker (illustration, right), repeated once annually, in April, ever since.

Styles

There are three styles of monocle. The first style consists of a simple loop of metal with a lens which was slotted into the eye orbit. These were the first monocles worn in England and could be found from the 1830s onwards. The second style, which was developed in the 1890s, was the most elaborate, consisting of a frame with a raised edge-like extension known as the gallery. The gallery was designed to help secure the monocle in place by raising it out of the eye orbit slightly, so that the eyelashes could not jar it. Monocles with galleries were often the most expensive. The very wealthy would have the frames custom-made to fit their own eye sockets.

The third style of monocle was frameless. This consisted of a cut piece of glass, with a serrated edge to provide a grip, and sometimes a hole drilled into one side for a cord. Often the frameless monocle had no cord and would be worn freely. This style was popular at the beginning of the 20th century as they could be cut to fit any shape eye orbit cheaply, without the cost of a customized frame.

It is a myth that monocles were uncomfortable to wear. If they were customised then they could be worn securely with no effort. However, often only the rich could afford to have them custom-manufactured and the poor had to settle for poorly-fitted monocles that were less comfortable and less secure. The popular perception was (and still is) that a monocle could easily fall off with the wrong facial expression. A once-standard comedic device exploits this: an upper-class gentleman makes a shocked expression in response to some event, and his monocle falls into his drink, smashes into pieces on the floor, etc.

The quizzing glass is a sort of monocle held to one's eye with a long handle, in a similar fashion to a lorgnette.

Public mentions

On the August 16, 2006 broadcast of The CBS Evening News, Bob Schieffer ended the broadcast by laughing and commenting about Sir Patrick Moore wearing a monocle. On David Letterman's August 18, 2006 CBS show, Letterman made light of the subject.

Read more at Wikipedia.org