{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O293490"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O293490/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV0197/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV0197/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV0197","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV0245","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV0244","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O293490","accessionNumber":"T.52-1981","objectType":"Sunglasses","titles":[{"title":"Butterfly","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"The eyewear firm Oliver Goldsmith created this glasses frame, titled Butterfly. in 1962. Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical firm, founded this eyewear company in London in 1926. In 1935 his son Charles Goldsmith entered the firm with the aim of transforming glasses from a medical necessity to a fashion item. From the company's offices in Poland Street, his sons A. Oliver and Ray Goldsmith built upon the company's reputation for attention-grabbing designs and solicited celebrity endorsement for their products. Key clients included Lord Snowdon, the actor Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales.\r\n\r\nIn the early 1960s Charles Oliver Goldsmith was experimenting with different uses for unsold sunglasses. He created a range of pictorial frames which included 'Butterfly' and another called 'Music Notes' (T.243J-1990). He showed 'Butterfly' first to Harrods, the London department store, who placed orders. The design was painted by hand and was sold with either red or blue accents.","physicalDescription":"Sunglasses of painted plastic in the shape of a butterfly.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear","id":"A20179"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted plastic","categories":[{"text":"Accessories","id":"THES48998"},{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Eyewear","id":"THES271062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2008BV0197","2008BV0245","2008BV0244"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES306737"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sunglasses","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1950s","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1959-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs J. Wentworth","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sunglasses of painted plastic 'Butterfly', made by Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear, England, 1950s","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.52-1981"],"accessionNumberNum":"52","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1981,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-18","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}