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British Optical Association Museum Launches Temporary Exhibition on the Story of Eye Make-up
British Optical Association Museum Launches Temporary Exhibition on the Story of Eye Make-up
10 October 2008
If you’ve ever wondered how the ancient Egyptians gave their eyes such a distinctive appearance or if you’ve never heard of the mascara that blinded the women who used it in the 1930s, the latest temporary exhibition at the British Optical Association Museum may open your eyes, so-to-speak.
From Painted Jezebels…to Synthetic Beauty: The Story of Eye Make-Up explains how cosmetic products for the eyes can alter the colour of the surrounding flesh or lashes and create an illusion of shape or form. It tells the story of how women, and less frequently men, have used them for ceremonial, social or psychological reasons.
The exhibition is the first in a new programme of small temporary exhibitions, each contained within a single display case, in which the museum aims to give a condensed and accessible introduction to specific eye topics.
Housed within the College of Optometrists in Craven Street the British Optical Association Museum was founded in 1901. The collection contains over
twelve thousand outstanding objects and archival items relating to the history of ophthalmic optics (optometry), the human eye and visual aids, as well as the representation of these subjects in art. Highlights include
the spectacles of various famous personalities including Dr Johnson, C.P. Snow, Ronnie Corbett and Dr Crippen, a rare collection of spyglass fans, a collection of artifical and ocular prosthetics and a distinguished set of porcelain eyebaths.
The exhibition is open now, until early 2009 by prior appointment only. For more information about the BOA Museum see here.