Tuesday 13 August 2013

Glasses from Amsterdam: a potted history.

Hi there

We have just returned from our short break in Amsterdam, it is one of the few cities that is really easy to get to from Norfolk! The flight takes thirty five minutes from Norwich airport.
The Brilmuseum
Dead Man assures me that the main allure was the Brilmuseum ; the glasses museum. Amsterdam has an eclectic selection of quirky museums, including the torture museum and the Tassenmusem museum of bags and purses. However, we had a first with our landlady as she had never heard of the Brilmuseum!
Inside the Brilmuseum
The Brilmuseum did not disappoint and is a fantastic place for lovers of vintage glasses. They have a comprehensive collection of all things optical. The first floor is a shop selling vintage spectacles (although most only dated to the past 30 years) and the museum is on two floors of a traditional Amsterdam house.
safety and industrial specs
We were excited by the frames; there was a wide range, including rare 18th century 'Martin's Margins' (see the Deadman's own fine example here),  great flying goggles and a wide selection of dramatic 1950s and '60s  cocktail glasses.

Cocktail and Viennese ball inspired frames 

If you're ever in Amsterdam and fancy feasting your eyes on a great selection of vintage glasses it's worth seeking out, and you won't have to queue, we had the place to ourselves.

TTFN Mrs Deadman

Thursday 1 August 2013

Dead Men's Spex; A Little Vintage Lover of a lovely little village. (Say three times very quickly!)


Hi there

It's August already and on Sunday 4th August  Dead Men's Spex is off to a Little Vintage Lover Fair in Heydon, a privately owned village in deepest rural Norfolk. Heydon is a beautiful place with only one road for access. It has a parish room, church, pub, bakery, tea room and some attractive cottages all nestled round a very pictueresque green.These are all close to the Elizabethan Heydon Hall, home of the Bulwer Long family.

The fair is held in the recently refurbished parish room; a world war one soldiers' hut which was moved from Staffordshire to Norfolk in 1922.  The shows here have a lovely old world atmosphere, perfect for a vintage fair. So if you fancy a day out come and see us all at Heydon!
Heydon  Parish Room
I look forward to a fun day out,

TTFN Mrs Deadman