That's Quite a Spectacle
Whenever a character in a movie is a by-the-book square who never got over the end of the 1950s, he wears plastic-top, metal-rim eyeglasses. Tom Hanks donned them in Catch Me If You Can, and you can't make a film about Malcolm X, NASA, or the JFK assassination without ordering them in bulk.
The glasses are especially effective if the buttoned-up wearer is one bad day from a total nervous breakdown, like the downsized defense contractor D-FENS, who rampages across Los Angeles to protest incivility in Falling Down.
I wrote about these glasses last year when I heard the only manufacturer, ArtCraft NewYork, was discontinuing the style. This was crushing news -- I step on my pair of Clubman Art-Rim frames at least twice a year and can barely see through a SuperGlue smudge in one lens.
Since then, I've heard from an executive at Shuron, the company that invented the style in 1941 and sold more than 17 million of them by 1970:
The Ronsir was in many movies and worn by many actors/celebrities -- Kevin Costner, Denzel Washington, Vince Lombardi, Nicholas Cage, and many others. The Ronsir is not going away.
Because I keep directing people to Shuron when they ask about the glasses, the company is sending me a free pair, which I believe makes me the world's first blogger/spokesmodel. I'm spending this weekend trying to come up with my own Blue Steel.
Comments
Hmmm, I do need a new pair of glasses...
Shuron is a classic company for glasses. I've been wearing Shuron frames for a decade now -- ones approaching their hundredth birthday. They're antique pince-nez frames, fitted with my prescription. Shuron doesn't make them anymore, but they've got a lot of their classic designs still available, like Cadenhead's and the military aviators....but others remind me of stereotypical 'TV Old People' glasses. (not a paid sponsor, I promise!)
id been wearing a pair of the 'mississippi burning' glasses (as my co-workers call them) for fourteen years, since i was 18, until today, when i broke them...
thanks for the info on finding replacements!
ben in vancouver
So sad that I am a schooling boy of 16 years old from Borneo , Malaysia who wear a pair of ronsir design glass could not even find another frame same as the one i wear just now ! I doubt that I was wrongly born in wrong time ! i would like to have one as my spare glass , is there anywhere in USA still selling these pattern of frame , perhaps in Texas i guess ! Someone who send me the kind of frame in this adress "No.13 Bazaar Dalat , 96300 , Dalat , Mukah , Sarawak , Malaysia" will i appreciate as afriend in the same hobby . Thank you
Hullo. I surfed in while looking up Shuron's on the net. I'm 26 and recently had my vision tested to discover that glasses will benefit me. Having recently seen the film Bobby I was inspired to get something a bit vintage. I was between the 60s Nasa Mission Control look and Edwardian Pince-nez. I finally decided for the former, did a bit of research, and ordered a pair of Ronsirs. You do have good taste, these are just too awesome.
i see malcolm x look different than the newer version on malcolm x he had triangle points on the end i was wondering can i get that done to mine
Rogers Cadenhead, author, publisher, spokes-model.
Blue Steel?
Ha! Spud is luff that Zoolandfer flick.
Sorry to have to break it to you, but...
Yer not a real model until Tyra Banks has made you cry at least once.
Sorry, them's the rules.
Be Well.
This style of frame is coming back.. Two pretty major characters on network tv are wearing them.. Mr. Bennett (HRG) from "Heroes" and Agent Reid on "Criminal Minds".. And for some reason, they've been in quite a few movies recently. This was one of the first discussions I've ran across regarding this style of frame, but I've found other vintage eyewear online stores for similar frames besides the Ronsirs (though a lot of them carry Shurons too):
It would be an interesting time to be in the Optical industry, I would think. I've been planning to get a pair of Ronsir's or something similar for over a year, hopefully they'll work out with my prescription.
Can you tell me where I can get frames like the one's Malcolm X whore
hello to the states1
I`m now since half of a year the proud owner of shuron "ronsir" eyeglasses and I l o v e it!!
it is impossible to buy them here in germany and I had to order them direct at shuron`s.
...and I think they are the best!!
greetings from germany
dr.morgenstern
Got myself a pair of Black Taper Shuron Ronsir Zyl From retropecs.co.uk last year.
Excellent for that retro 50's /NASA/ G-Man look
Go to the link below. There are loads of other retro styles on this site too.
Matt
Just had an email from shuron. They are making clip on sunglasses for your frames. check out these bad boys.
Ronsir still makes them. In fact, I just received a pair in the mail the other day.
Any one no if there is any book or literature on shron eyeglasses 40s to 80 vintage shron eyeglasses I been buying aluminum one there great i just started wearing glasses I could still read a map in 2013 I have a pair of modern glasses they suck the first pair of shron I bought where form 1947 exsecutive cut thy are so close to my perspiration the doc said that they will work actually better if u ask me any one no where I can get executive cut lens
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