[MR] Was: Eyeglasses! Now: Magnifying Glasses

[Stefan li Rous]

<<< Mistress Elspet made me a set of magnifying glasses: round glass  
balls that when filled with water can be used separately or together  
to magnify an object. Supposedly they can also be used together to  
form a sort of early period telescope, but I haven't had a LOT of  
success with that (my own eyes seem to do a better job, smile). Folks  
seem to love playing with them & they were a big hit with the kids at  
our last Boy Scout demo.

Molly >>>

Did Mistress Elspet blow the glass for these? Or did she convert them  
from some other modern use?  I've never heard of anyone in the SCA  
actually doing glass blowing, although I've seen glass blowing at  
Jamestown and elsewhere, including in Mexico. The places I've seen it  
done were also recycling modern glass, not making their own. The  
latter is something I've never heard of anyone doing in the SCA.

I do have some info on these water-filled glass balls being used in  
period as magnifiers, but nothing to the detail I'd like to have.

Thanks,
   Stefan

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THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****