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In the 1930s opticians really could provide spectacles to help you see in the dark, but you had to beware if anyone saw you wearing them because they must have appeared pretty silly...and with all that dodgy wiring it might not have been advised to wear them in the rain. These spectacles were entered by the London firm of R. Archer & Sons Ltd in the style show at the 1931 Optical Congress, Holborn Hall. Above and below the round eye rims are four little light bulbs with rear reflectors. The inventor claimed these would 'Throw light wherever you look' , they were 'invaluable for use in mines, on yachts, when camping etc. and for all who work in dark places' and would particularly suit tinkering with the engine of your Austin 7 motor car in the garage, reading at night or even gardening...quite appropriate given the inventor's name. You could also plug them into the mains if you bought an extra 4.5V transformer. The wearer could be reassured that the plastic used for the frame, known as Cellon, was non-inflammable. This pair with four lamps and curl sides to stop the frame falling from your face is Model A which was marketed towards surgeons as an operating spectacle although far more sophisticated examples were already available for them. More realistically the reviewer of the show for the Optician journal suggested that they would be good for carrying out small repairs when both hands were needed...in other words opticians themselves might find the device the most useful.
Amazingly enough the idea did not die on the spot. A decade later, during the Second World War, it was suggested that such spectacles might be useful in the black-out, not least since the light beam was fully directional. After the war, an Austrian company marketed a one-lamp spectacle originally designed for the hours of curfew called the I-Lite which was promoted as 'The Third Eye'.
Who was Dr Dujardin? We would love to learn some biographical information.