A pair of Winston Churchill’s glasses on sale for £2000

A pair of glass made for Sir Winston Churchill are to go on sale at auction and expected to fetch up to £2000.

The full rimmed round tortoiseshell glasses with a white dot tip on each arm come in a leather spectacle case embossed ‘C.W.Dixey & Son London 1777’, his opticians.

They come together with a typed statement from director of C. W. Dixey, Peter Varnes, verifying the ‘usually three pairs of spectacles’ were made to Churchill’s prescription.

The wartime prime minister was often seen wearing the circular tortoiseshell spectacles in his later years.

The glasses are one of three made to Churchill’s prescription by C.W Dixey his optician 

He was often seen wearing the circular tortoiseshell spectacles in his later years 

He was often seen wearing the circular tortoiseshell spectacles in his later years 

Churchill had several made, so he would always have spares and if there was anything wrong with them, they would then be left with opticians Dixey for repairs.

The opticians always had one pair of each at the shop ready to replace one that may have been broken and after Churchill’s death C.W. Dixey had three pairs of Churchill’s spectacles still in their possession.

It is believed one pair were given to Chartwell, his Kent country house, one pair was auctioned in 2011 and with the final pair now put on sale by Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers.

The spectacles were given to the present owner, also an optician, by Mr Varnes.

The opticians always had one pair of each at the shop ready to replace one that may have been broken

The opticians always had one pair of each at the shop ready to replace one that may have been broken

Churchill had several made, so he would always have spares and if there was anything wrong with them

Churchill had several made, so he would always have spares and if there was anything wrong with them

The unnamed owner was developing a new range of spectacles in the style of Churchill and Mr Varnes said he should ‘have the real thing’.

Churchill was very fond of his distinctive eye-wear, which was in either the half-eye or fully round style, and tailored for specific purposes and marked accordingly.

The metal dots in the corner of the frame indicate its purpose with one dot for reading only and two dots for speeches.

He also had specially made glasses for sketching, painting, or card playing.

A spokeswoman for Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers said while they can’t be ‘100 per cent certain’ he wore them ‘they certainly look worn not brand new, so we can assume so’.

Auctioneer Catherine Southon said his glasses are as 'iconic as his cigar and hat' and a lot of interest is expected 

Auctioneer Catherine Southon said his glasses are as ‘iconic as his cigar and hat’ and a lot of interest is expected 

The glasses are being sold by in a Christmas auction on Wednesday, 6th December 2017.

The auction will be held at Farleigh Golf Club, near Croydon, not all that far from Churchill’s Kent residence, and the spectacles are estimated at £1,000-2,000.

‘We are absolutely delighted to be offering a pair of Winston Churchill’s spectacles, especially as this area is very proud of its Churchill connection,’ Catherine Southon herself said.

‘His spectacles are as iconic as his cigar and hat. We expect a lot of interest both here and abroad as Churchill memorabilia is always very collectable.’

 

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