We recently came across a beautiful pair of 1960’s cat eye glasses called Overture, by American Optical. They are listed for sale here:
Generally speaking, the best place to find information on any vintage frames is by locating the original catalog put out by the manufacturer. It gives you the best glimpse into the context of the frames, the sizes they came in, original price for vintage eyeglasses at that era, the innovations they introduced at the time, and the way the manufacturers marketed them.
This is not generally an easy task as these vintage catalogs are hard to find and not readily available. In this case we did manage to find a copy of the original catalog:
“Striking, lightweight style with modified upsweep. Attractive decorative motif on elegant satin colors. 1/10 12k Gold Filled Chassis.” These words must have been written by the likes of Don Draper in Mad Men, beautiful copy to sell beautiful frames. I’d like to see something like that in 2020.
Some of the things we can see from this catalog is the sizes they came in 44, 46, and 48, with a bridge size of 18 to 24. Temple size of 5 ¼, 5 ½ and 5 ¾. The colors they came in were Jet, Brown, Blue and Champagne.
One of the more interesting innovations of American Optical AO found on these vintage cat eye glasses is what is known as the Red Dot system, or the red screw system. In 1955 American Optical introduced the Red Dot Program to help ensure the screws for their vintage frames did not get loose or fall out, and maintained the proper tension while opening and closing the frames.
Here is from a press release put out at the time:
“American Optical Company announces that it’s new red dot program will be available nationwide very soon. This innovation, according to AO, has been acclaimed in the aereas where it has already been introduced.
Red Dot, so called because of the identifying mark on each piece, provides a new means for fastening temples to fronts. It eliminates the problem of lost screws and loose temples, says the company, adding that proper tension at the hinge is assured for the normal life of the frame.
The red dot mark is on a tubular rivet of new design and which incorporates a nylon bushing. A precision machine is supplied to seal the rivets in hinges that have been drilled and reamed. The machine will accommodate 3-, 5-, and 7- barrels, and assures the right amount of expansion of the bushing to guarantee a firm hinge tension that will not change with use.
The machine also has a device for removal of the rivets if a change of temples is required.
Only the newest AO frame will accommodate the new fastenings. All new models being prepared by the frame division will use the red dots."
We should say that for us the Red Dot screw system may have been good for 1960’s glasses frames but dealing with it today is not easy. We don’t have the original machine provided by American Optical so changing the screws already in place can be challenging.