My grandfather had perfect eyesight until the day he died, unfortunately he did not pass that gene to me as I’ve recently had to start wearing glasses. Oh well. It’s not the end of the world. I can still see the Stichting Nationaal Brilmuseum, or the National Museum of Spectacles, if I ever find my way to Amsterdam. Over 35 years ago the Theunissen family opened a museum dedicated to their strange obsession with collecting spectacles. Located in a small 17th century building with a red storefront on one of the city’s Negen Straatjes (“Nine Little Street”) the museum is run by Mijke Theunissen, son of the original owner. Two floors of optometric objects and art pieces, some from over 700 years ago, are displayed in old glass cabinets. Visitors can see monocles, lorgnettes, the well-known pince-nez (made famous by Teddy Roosevelt) and glasses worn by such bespectacled luminaries as Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, and Franz Schubert. On the ground floor a recreated 1930s opticians shop sells more than a hundred historic frames. It sounds like a hipster’s paradise.
Stichting Nationaal Brilmuseum, or the National Museum of Spectacles, Amsterdam
