Vintage spectacles and leather case

These nondescript spectacles came to the Fleming’s collection as part of Burlington's rich history, but with little identifying information, other than the name of their original owner. They belonged to Dr. William Lund, a prominent Burlington doctor in the late-19th and early-20th Centuries. He was integral in the survival of the Lund Family Center, a women’s shelter in South Burlington, where he and his wife were passionately involved and where Dr. Lund delivered the first baby in 1926. In fact, the Center was named for Dr. Lund and his wife, after she passed away and he left a sizable donated to the organization. Though the spectacles came with no definitive date, their long straight arms, oval-shaped lenses, and “saddle” bridge indicate that they were made before 1890. Eyeglasses are one of the few “adornments” that are equally used by men and women. The most practical of this exhibit’s adornments, these simple eyeglasses were used to physically enhance the body by improving eyesight, yet the rims also define and attract attention to the eyes.