When I was in high school, my best friend and I were obsessed with the Scarlet Pimpernell, a Zorro-style tale set during the French Revolution. Our favorite scene involved the Pimpernell, dressed as a vain and superficial fop, wielding a monocle while reciting his poem,
They seek him here,
They seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in Heaven,
Or is he in Hell?
That damned elusive Pimpernell!
I don't have the sartorial fortitude to wear a monocle around my neck
anymore, but I don't have the same reservations about accessorizing my home with some dandyish details. You can pick up vintageParisian mother-of-pearl opera glasses from eBay or flea markets for $50 - $100 (depending on condition). If you're lucky, you can find them with handles or their original cases.
Here are a couple of mine. Although I don't get out to the opera much, I find them handy to peep on the squirrels in the tree by my balcony.
50 to 100 clams? gosh, gonna go dig out mine that I have squirreled away...
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Drick! I really enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteI also know that little poem by heart, and have been known to recite it at the slightest provocation, in my best Leslie Howard accent! I have a pair of opera glasses that once belonged to my great grandmother. My, technology has come a long way since then! Mine are very pretty (mother of pearl) but useless. Reggie
ReplyDeleteYes, the optics are really pitiful, but I believe they make me look better when I hold them, if not whatever it is I'm trying to see. :)
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