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In 1974 Mud sang 'It'll be Lonely This Christmas', but for the spectacles of one Richard Mudd, it won't be lonely at all in 2006 because they've just been brought to spend Christmas with 2296 friends. The pair is our latest donation to the spectacle frames collection and, arriving as they did in December, we can think of it as a sort of Christmas present for the Museum.
Richard Mudd had his name inscribed on the side of his spectacles and just to confirm his association with them his friends placed a note in the case after his death:
Monday July 4th 1796 1/2 past nine in the Morning died Mr Mudd an eminent Surgeon and Apothecary of Gedding in this County. Born Dec'br 27th 1737.
We flung our research network into action and have discovered that he was indeed an eminent surgeon, practising mainly in Foulsham, Norfolk and only latterly in Suffolk where he took up residence at Gedding Hall, between Sudbury and Colchester. The title 'apothecary' must have been self-awarded since the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries have no record of him. There was no such thing as protected professional titles in those days! He didn't claim to be an optician...we have an idea who his optician was because he initialled the frame WF. This could be William Ford or William Frisbee, two well known London opticians in the early 1790s who are known to have sold spectacles to owners in the provinces.
We hope the spectacles enjoy their new home. If you're interested in finding out more about what and why we collect you can now read our Acquisitions and Disposals Policy online.
Perhaps you will have a present for us in the New Year?