Dead Men's Spex

Dead Men's Spex in the Oldie

2011-10-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Polaroid Heritage Sunglasses - harking back to a more elegant time

2011-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Dead Men’s Spex are now stocking the 1940s and 1950s frames from the Polaroid Heritage range.These are styled on original Polaroid models from the period.

The Marilyn from the 1950’ - a legendary Polaroid style
Cat eye frames lift the face and lighten the features. No wonder fashionistas of the mid-50s loved this look. In handmade acetate, this reproduction is true to the original, in hot pink or ebony black

The Broadway from the 1950s
These late 1950s sunglasses are hand-crafted to perfection. Recreated with the latest laser technology in two-tone acetate, this style exudes all the authenticity and drama of the Polaroid original. Available in white/grey and black/white.

The Swing from the 1940s

Like good music, these 1930s Polaroid sunglasses lift the soul. Crafted in translucent handmade acetate, the organic, flowing style has inspired many designers over the decades. And this Polaroid classic is where the story began.

Take a look at Dead Men's Spex for full details of colours/sizes and prices. Stock is limited so get them while you can

Disjointed jottings from the Deadman's desk

2011-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's been a busy old month at Dead Men's Spex. What with Hemsby Rock n Roll weekender and and the lure of the Norfolk Festival, time in the workshop has had to be well used.

Those of you who keep an eye on the website will have hopefully noticed a new uniformity to the frame photo's now I am the proud owner of a mini-studio. It all sounds very posh and I love the look on people's faces when I tell them I have one, little do they know that is really equates to a large white polyester box with a back drop in it. Although simple in design and execution it is very effective at evening the light out and making the object that you are photographing stand out. I can highly recommend the use of one to anyone needing to sell small items online.

On the spectacle front those of you who follow me on Facebook will be aware that I have had a large amount of NHS geek frames come into my possession. The preparation of these for the website is my target over the next couple of weeks so keep a look out on the site as they never last long.

On a more exotic note, those of you who love the more glamorous and elegant elements of 1950's design can see a number of 1950's Anodised Aluminium Tura frames at Dead Men's Spex. These are a set of salesman's samples that had been locked away in the demo box for over 50 years and are really indicative of all that was good with "the atomic age".

TTFN

DMS

A long time passing - or honey I forgot to blog

2011-04-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not very good at this blogging thing. The time span between the last one and now is too long, but in my defence, Professor Brian Cox would probably ask “what is time?” and I’m not going there (not without a stout pair of walking shoes and a lomo lens).

What happens is life. So many things draw on my time, from sourcing new stock, preparing it for sale and processing orders to the sun luring me away to the allotment and Deadman Junior demanding another game of Sonic. All this without mentioning the secret allure of “Bargain Hunt” – purely for research of course, I need to see what spectacles Tim Wonnacott is wearing to stay on trend, I swear.

Life is just one big carnival.

With spring well and truly here in North Norfolk, with temperatures in double digits, the lure of the outside is getting hard to resist. I’m lucky in that I work from two workshops at the house so on fine days the doors are thrown open so it’s almost like working outside. We have our summer shows agreed and although we are not doing many this year the ones we are doing are quality ones with a good track record. Take a look at the website for a full list.

For any of you who know North Norfolk, Deadman Towers is not far from the town of Holt, home of many vintage outlets and things of interest. The Deadman has persuaded Bunny Hooper to write a small piece on Holt for uploading in the near future. This should cover everything from his favourite vintage barber to his outfitter of choice and all things in between.

I’m presently filling the spare time I have with a bee-keeping course with the aim of hives for our allotment. Unlike the chickens (which are still a wish-bone of contention) Mrs Deadman likes the idea of bees – something to do with family traditions and the honey coated memories of helping her Grand-dad spin the honey combs in the centrifuge. I am now the proud owner of a bee-keeping suit that wouldn’t look out of place boarding the space shuttle.

Future candidate for the Deadman’s hives.

Maybe it will also legitimise a bit of vintage collecting as I’m going to needs some pots to keep all that lovely honey in. Now there's a thought..............

TTFN
Deadman

Spring sees Mrs Deadman spitting feathers - Cabin fever after a winter cooped up!

2011-02-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

Spring is nearly here and thoughts at Deadman Towers turns to Springy things like bunnies, daffodils and CHICKENS!!!

The humble chicken has become a bone of contention in the Deadman household with the Deadman flying the flag for the purchase of a small flock and Mrs Deadman fighting for the axis forces against them. Rats, manure, disease and the lack of holidays due to having to find chook-sitters have all been used in the argument against. Whilst what I think to be the superior argument for them, being fresh eggs and if I don’t get them I’ll sulk, has fallen on deaf ears

So in my effort to bolster my argument I found myself researching heritage breeds (the conservation slant being a trump card or so I thought) where I came upon the following:

Now we’ve all heard of cats eyes, some of us have heard of hush puppies BUT Chicken glasses!!!

I had thought it was a joke at first but on further inspection I even found that there is a period news report about them by Paramount News (how I’d wished it was Pathe News with their chicken logo, but that would have been too perfect).

So now I have my trump cards, not only are chickens business specific but they may also be tax deductable if only I can find a market. Anyone for chicken eyes?

TTFN

Deadman

And home again - Bunny returns to the warren!

2011-01-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

In November I headed over to the NEC in Birmingham for a rendezvous with Deadman Senior at the Classic Car and Bike Show. Our interest was largely around the bikes and we barely touched the massive car exhibition area. As a former West Midlands automotive engineer, Deadman Senior was able to provide me with his in-depth and first-hand experience of why the British bike industry failed; in one word – “Accountants”. Charming! If you ever come across the Hell Riders’ Wall of Death at an event, go and see the show. It is amazing.

Brave motorcylists circumnavigate the waistband of Deadman Seniors trousers!

And that was why 2010 was a vintage year for me. The organisers, military re-enactors, stall holders and the public who attend these events week in and week out all have a common passion which they love talking about. Don’t be shy just get out there in 2011, enjoy the events and meet people both new and old who share a common interest. I know that I will.

I only ask that if you come across me alone on the Deadman's stall please bear with me. I am not the vintage spectacle expert. I am sure that Deadman will not be away long, so humour me with talk of tax rates and such like until his return. But don’t ask for a discount – the accountant wouldn’t like it!

Bunny Hooper
The 1940’s accountant

The further adventures of Bunny

2011-01-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

"Having a Mellor's moment - from Has Been to Sean Bean!?"

The North Norfolk Railway 1940’s weekend is held each year in September. Being local, this is an old favourite for both Deadman and I. Deadman was there again standing the stall. With Deadman Senior over for the weekend, I was relegated to the role of assistant to the assistant. The additional staffing on the stall resulted in a surprising increase in duties (more tea and buns, the butt of double the amount of jokes and partnering Deadman Senior on smokes breaks). As such, I didn’t manage to get out on the train from Holt to the events at the Sheringham and Weybourne stations. Still it was nice to enjoy the event from a base and have the chance to browse the stalls at Holt and pick up some items. As always, the low level Lancaster fly past remains a special draw for me at this event.

What do you mean, the trains delayed because of "leaves on the line"?

The following weekend in September saw another 1940s steam railway weekend, this time at the Nene Valley Valley Railway in Peterborough. The ticket office let me in for half price as I had come in “fancy dress”! I pocketed the saving and chose not to explain that I was dressed no differently to any other day of the year. There were battle group re-enactors on hand and I am pleased to report that the Nazis were defeated in the station yard skirmish.

Fiendish Nazi hides in hole beneath motorbike

In October the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne laid on their second Village at War weekend. At the centre of the event was the Canal Museum itself but the event had a real “blitz spirit” feel to it with the whole village seemingly getting involved. There were a large number of re-enactor groups on site and events held across the whole village. Another victorious skirmish on the exhibition field made it Allies 2 Nazis 0. Hurrah!

“The British Forced Enema Expeditionary Force in action”

to be continued.................

The Travelling Accountant

2011-01-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

2010 – A Vintage Year

I’m not one for New Year resolutions, but I do think that the turning of the year is a good time to reflect on the events of the previous twelve months and to think about plans for the year ahead. I made the effort to get out and about more in 2010 and here are my thoughts on some of the interesting vintage events that I made it to.

First trip out, I popped over to the east coast of Norfolk for Hemsby in April to help Deadman on the stall. Duties were light, mostly revolving around keeping Deadman in tea and holding interested customers in conversation until his return from the loo. Dressed in the usual 1940’s accountant style I must have looked like a dull 1950’s dad. However, everyone was welcoming and no one called me “pops”. Oh for James Nesbitt’s money and the opportunity to grow myself one of those fine quiffs. I enjoyed myself so much I went back for Hemsby 45 in October including the early morning car boot.

On Sunday Morning. Empty! Rockers up too late?

Hughenden Manor just outside the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire is the former residence of Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister during the late nineteenth century. I knew the Disraeli connection from my local schooling. The Victory at Hughenden 1940’s event in May told of the secret map making role performed on site during WW2 with RAF Bomber Command based close by. Not the biggest event of the year but some good re-enactor displays including the AFS, the Home Guard and a WW2 paratrooper drilling the kids. He scared the daylights out of them and I picked up some useful parenting tips.

Twinwoods over the August bank holiday weekend was the highlight of my vintage year; a great crossover show for fans of both the 1940s and 1950s on a genuinely interesting site. Two separate stages provided fine live music and dancing, including free lessons, from either era. I’m definitely heading back in 2011. Next time I will be suitably shod for a little rug cutting, just to prove that accountants can dance. Deadman’s stall had a fine position for the Arena Stage and provided some relief from the wind and rain.

to be continued..........

Bunny's Boxing Day Dip - or the day Bunny had his assets frozen!!

2010-12-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

Bunny Hooper "The 1940's Accountant" gives a stoic salute before running into the sea for the traditional Boxing Day charity dip in Cromer, which this year was raising funds for The Matthew Project.

Enjoying a post dip pipe and hot chocolate.

Well done Bunny!!

Merry Christmas from Dead Men's Spex

2010-12-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

So the big day is almost here. I hope you are all ready for the seasonal period of over indulgence that is upon us. That all your presents are wrapped, cards sent, turkeys stuffed and cocktail cabinets stocked :oD

Deadman Junior is bouncing off the wall with excitement waiting for the big man in Red to come down the chimney. Like families the world over we will be leaving Santa a mince pie, a glass of sherry and maybe a carrot for the reindeer. Unlike most other families we will also be leaving Santa a spare pair of spectacles just in case he breaks the pair he is always pictured in while negotiating a rather treacherous bend in our chimney. Deadman Junior thinks this is a very good idea and so does the Deadman, because, after little eyes are shut and sleeping I may just slip a business card on the plate next to the sherry on the off chance that our chimney’s not the only one with a wicked bend.

Merry Christmas

TTFN

Deadman

Algha 722 beloved by Santa

Santa comes early to the Deadman residence!!

2010-12-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all, Santa has arrived early at the Deadman's residence bringing a box of Christmas cheer in the shape of 700 old stock frames from the 1950's. As you can see from the photo's below the Deadman and his little elf helper (Deadman junior - 5 years old and dressed from top to toe in green with curled up shoes and a bell on his hat :oD Don't tell social services or else our idea of chimney sweeping business is scuppered !!) have a lot of work in the New Year preparing these lovely little numbers for you all to wear.

D.Man

Snow business like snow business....

2010-12-06T01:34:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has been staying warm through this cold snap. The only casualty that the Deadman clan has had is that we were unable to make it to the Northern Military Expo where we were supposed to be standing a stall this weekend gone.

Talking of military I have had an interview and profile in this months World War II re-enactors magazine. As you can see it included a lovely picture of Fleur de Guerre and a picture of Bunny Hooper doing his famous Tommy Cooper impression!

Deadman

All the world's a stage

2010-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know about the rest of you but there is nothing I like more than a trip to the theatre (acting not operating! of course). It would seem that the same is true of the Deadman's stock with no less than three theatres and one film production company taking our spex for their productions.

Along with the acclaimed RSC Courtyard Theatre we are also providing eight pairs of spectacles for Cinderella at the Theatre Royal Plymouth . Last month's production of Love on the dole at the Octagon in Bolton also saw an outing for a pair of Gold Filled 1920's Round Eyes from our stock (see below)

ttfn

Deadman

Have a break have a Kitt Cat

2010-10-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Autumn has well and truly arrived, but summer didn’t give up without one final (if belated) burst. Hemsby weekend was glorious, warm and sunny and yes I was stuck inside standing a stall throughout. Not that I minded too much, what with Shona and Twan from Heydays to keep me company and a visit from Bunny on Sunday things could have been far worse.

Shona from Heydays

Melanie eyeing up another potential purchase.

Dead Men’s Spex was able to show off some of the new stock that has come in recently before it is uploaded on to the website. I also got to catch up with old friends and exchange gossip about the show scene and what’s new and what had fallen by the wayside.

It was good to see some new traders at Hemsby this year. The Traders are as much of a draw to these weekend shows as the music and dancing in my opinion. Without a vibrant and varied group of dealers the days would be filled with nothing but sleeping and booze (when there should be sleeping, booze and buying :oD )and Frankie would go home with too much money and not be incentivised to work hard to make more money for Melanie to spend at the next weekender! What we would then risk is the collapse of the Western economy and for the sake of one less pair of spex! I rest my case....my spectacle case that is!!

Frankie supporting the whole Western economy!

Now with Halloween being the next date on the calendar there has never been a better time to dust off your cat’s eyes and slip into your catwoman costume to do a little trick or treating.

In my opinion you can keep your Michelle Pfeiffer and your Halle Berry as there is only one catwoman worth her salt and that is Eartha Kitt . Sexy, sassy and living up to her name just a little bit earthy, if the Deadman could choose a model for his cat’s eyes this would have been the lady and don’t get me started on the voice.......

Eartha Kitt

"Dead man through the looking Glass" a Norfolk pipe-dream

2010-09-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have guessed that the plus four teaser could be no-one else but Bunny Hooper “The 1940’s Accountant”. On a weekend when the Deadman was abandoned on the stall by the rest of the clan (something about parties and lashings of ice-cream and jelly or so Deadman Junior assured me) the only backup was my Dad, Deadman senior or as he’s affectionately known “Deadman Walking”. Bunny was a welcome pair of extra hands.

Being our local event, Holt and Sheringham 1940’s Weekend is always a busy two days for us, marked as much by visits from old friends as the good business.

Bunny was in an unusually rumbustious mood probably brought on by his insistence on being called Lord Hooper Marquis of Repps and muttering on about losing the rest of the shooting party and the bloody beaters!

The only way to calm him was to entice him into the stall with a copy of Glimpse and the assurance that he could smoke a pipe full of Virginia shag (picture the caterpillar in Alice through the Looking Glass!). The legitimacy of this action in what should be classed as the work place was debatable but I think the conclusion ran something along the lines of “bugger the EU!!”

www.deadmensspex.com temporary dwelling

The cue for spam sandwiches and black market petrol

With autumn knocking at the door Deadman’s thoughts turn to indoor shows where the elements no longer dictate. We are at Hemsby 45 on the 8-10th October, again another local show for us, just a short dash at the North Sea from base camp. There’s nothing quite like the British seaside out of season. All the holiday makers, day trippers, chalet owners and “kiss me quickers” will have departed leaving the bleak desolation of the Norfolk coastline (and about 1000 drunken rockers). Bliss!!

TTFN

Deadman

Power dressing yuppies

2010-09-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

News flash!!!

A large stock of 1970/80's designer frames have now come into our possesion and are being gradually processed and uploaded onto the site. So if it's "Saturday Night Fever" or 80's giant retro that takes your fancy click here.

I hope to bring you tales of trains,planes and plus fours in my next blog later this week but here's a teaser

TTFN

Deadman

Twinwoods - the day that the rains came down

2010-09-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Twinwoods has come and gone in a flurry of activity. It turned out to be a busy show, but not without a little time to enjoy ourselves. Deadman junior was safely seconded with the outlaws leaving myself and Mrs Deadman free to spread the gospel of vintage eyewear, dodge the rain and point at the natives.

It’s our third year trading at this show and we just love the atmosphere and the music. Highlights of this year's show were Kai’s Cats and Peter Donegan son of the late Lonnie Donegan and a star in his own right.It’s the first time he’s performed on the main stage at Twinwoods and in the Deadman’s opinion was the outstanding performance of the show. He also gave me the best overheard quote of the weekend:

One aging audience member to another " that Peter Donegan, he’s not his father!! "

I'm also reliably lead to believe his wife's not his mother and any kids he may have will not be his great aunt Hilda!

As for the great British obsession ….. the weather was mixed to say the least. Saturday and Sunday saw torrential showers that allowed us to trap people on the stall and threaten to throw them out into the deluge with unprotected “victory curls” unless they bought something!

Pre rain "victory curls"

The "threat" of rain

The rising waters also brought with them a visit from sheltering musician and Dead Men’s Spex wearer Pete Cook of the Sentinels of Rhythm, check out his blog for a candid and wry look at the life of a jobbing musician.

Pete Cook "sax god"

So the weekend was good and all was right with the universe. We’d had good music, trapped customers, visits from would be music gods, copious amounts of cheap Hotel Chocolat sold to raise money for the MacMillan trust . Then the weekend went from good to great with the arrival of “The 1940’s Accountant” bringer of coffee and general all round sartorial elegance!!

Bunny Hooper "The 1940's Accountant"

Our next show is in three weeks time at Holt in North Norfolk on the Poppy line, we’d love to trap you in our stall and force feed you chocolate so please come along and visit us. If you're lucky you might also just catch a glimpse of Bunny Hooper in his plus fours!

TTFN
Deadman

Bunny digs out his old olivetti (or the day I thought a guest blog would be a good idea - what do you mean its not about olives!)

2010-09-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

This week can I ask you to welcome our guest blogger Bunny Hooper "The 1940's Accountant" .

Where’s Deadman?

The morning down pour had quickly led to the abandonment of the first day’s beach expedition. Things were bad. The picnic basket was not even opened before the rain started to fall. And with the man on the wireless promising strong north easterlies and a high chance of further heavy precipitation, I had a problem! It was the last week of the school holidays and I had promised the 1950’s accountants, my offspring, Debit and Credit, a good old fashioned English seaside holiday on the North Norfolk coast.

They had listened to my childhood reminiscences of endless sunny days spent at the beach; sunburn, sandwiches with real sand in them washed down by seawater from failed wave jumping and ever more complex sandcastles as the week progressed, until Friday yielded something that would have won Norman Foster awards. They had listened with wonder and they wanted some of those good times. But the weather was starting to ruin things and I needed a plan to keep them entertained.

To buy myself some thinking time I handed them each a copy of Deadman’s summer special from the last blog. Perhaps it was the lack of a wordsearch, the missing Spangles (note to Deadman – possible improvements for 2011?) or maybe the incredibly short attention span of today’s younger generation, but within ten minutes tempers were starting to fray.

And then, just as the wheels were starting to come off the holiday bus, a problem I don’t remember Cliff Richard facing and he was away for not just seven days but “a week or two”, Deadman’s own words came back to me – another highlight from summer holidays when we were kids was a new pair of NHS 524s – and the answer was obvious. We would contact Deadman and I would source them their very first pair of 524s. Pink for her and blue for him. If I couldn’t give them a beach holiday to remember I could at least provide them a seaside “spectacle”ular that they would not forget.

We were staying local but Deadman’s contact details were on my rolodex. And my rolodex was back in the office, hundreds of miles away. We were just going to have to do this the old fashioned way and seek him out.

But where to look? Easy, thought I, wherever vintage things could be found. To avoid too many questions that I knew I couldn’t answer, I dressed it up for the 1950s accountants as a Norfolk version of Where’s Wally – Where’s Deadman. And with that we had our rain coats, long trousers and sensible footwear on and we were out of the door on an adventure.

Where's Deadman?

Deadman was not at the Aylsham auction house. He was not at North Walsham’s motorcycle museum. Nor was he riding on the North Norfolk steam railway. We drew a blank in the antiques shops in Holt and the museums and old fashioned shops in Cromer and Sheringham.

With the week running out fast, no confirmed sighting and not even the faintest sniff of the Deadman being close (the give away odour being a mild whiff of pork scratchings, they tell me), we gave up the ghost, or the bespectacled skeleton I should say, and headed back to the seaside for one last try on the beach.

And on that final day, just before we packed up after another washout on the beach everything became clear, both literally and metaphorically. As the sun showed itself for the first time that week I remembered that the next day was the start of the August bank holiday weekend - the Twinwoods weekend. No wonder we couldn’t find Deadman out and about around Norfolk. He had no doubt been at HQ overseeing last minute preparations for the DMS stall at the Glenn Miller Festival.

Bunny Hooper "The 1940's Accountant" audits the Deadman's stall at Twinwoods

The children didn’t get their old fashioned week on the beach or their vintage 524s. However, they weren’t too disappointed. We saw some great places and met lots of interesting people. Rain or (unlikely) shine we will be back next summer and many times before then because we love the area.

And if you want to play Where’s Deadman you will have an easier job than I had last week if you head along to the North Norfolk Railway’s Famous Forties event during the weekend of 18 / 19 September. Deadman will be there offering to the public a fine selection of his vintage frames. If you do go I may see you there. You will recognise me from my children, wearing their newly refurbished 524s. Debit in the pink and Credit in the blue.

Bunny Hooper
The 1940’s Accountant

Devil May Care in Whitby (or how one Bunny learned to wish upon a star)

2010-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hi, we’ve just arrived back from our Summer Holiday and as is befitting of the Deadman clan we have been weathering (sunning being an inappropriate word for what you do on a British holiday) in the home of Dracula himself; Whitby.

Never have I been to such a place for indulging a passion for fish and chips at every meal (including breakfast) as the North Yorkshire coast. Unbelievably we passed a shop starting its first fry of the day at 9.00am!

Highlight of the week was a ride on the North Yorkshire Railway to Pickering home of the “The Pickering 1940s Wartime Weekend” for all you 1940’s enthusiasts http://www.pickering1940s.co.uk/ . This is a great place along with the upcoming “Sherringham/Holt 1940’s weekend” (September 19th/20th) www.nnrailway.co.uk/page.php?pid=7 to air your tortoiseshell spectacles.

Mike Denmark – Timescape
At Holt 1940’s show 2009

Before we went away I’d been speaking to Bunny Hooper “The 1940’s Accountant” and he had been bemoaning the demise of the comics’ Summertime Specials. Along with a new pair of NHS “524” glasses this used to be the highlight of the summer holidays when we were kids. Usually sold with a useless plastic toy or a packet of Spangles attached to the front cover it was guaranteed to while away a long holiday car journey. So this got me thinking; and as a special present for Bunny, Dead Men’s Spex has gone to no expenses at all and produced The Dead Men’s Spex Summer Special 2010 (well the cover)..........enjoy!

This week sees me back in the workshop finishing off the preparation of the final frame stock for the bank holiday Glenn Miller Festival that we are attending at Twinwoods http://www.twinwoodevents.com/ . As usual we will have an arena stall selling lots of our lovely period frames. There will be a vast selection of gold filled round eyes to go with your de-mob suits and for the ladies a cornucopia of 1940/50s frames to complete that special outfit.

Glenn Miller

www.deadmensspex.com/default/1900-s-gold-filled-panto-eye-h19.html

Finally don’t tell Mrs Dead Man that I’ve got a Gal in Kalamazoo , so I’m going to jump on the Chattanooga Choo Choo all Devil may care and work that old black magic. If she does find out I’m going to hit the little brown jug and I guess I’ll have to dream the rest as I’m stepping out with a memory tonight.

I hope to see some of you at Twinwoods and remember if it’s foggy please don’t fly.

TTFN
D.Man

Interview for Extinct Design

2010-07-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have done a short interview for Heather of Exctinct Design www.extinctdesign.co.uk/which has just gone on line at www.extinctdesign.co.uk/blog/2010/07/21/cats-eye-glasses-geek-chic/

You'll love the "and finally if you can’t decide on what glasses might suit you best take a look Flair Magazines 1963 version of what type to fit which kind of personality!" piece at the end. It had me in tucks !!

Please take time to take a look around her site at some of the best vintage and new design available.

I hope to have Heather as a guest blogger in the not to distant future.

D.Man

High days, birthdays and other spectacles

2010-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hi, I wanted to address two things in this blog entry, these being the joy of birthdays and vintage sunglass lenses.

Firstly the joy of birthdays, or, when the year turned once more on Mr Deadman and how he re-discovered the delights of the regional museum.

My birthday trip this year was to view the Seahenge exhibition at Kings Lynn Museum. Having read about the initial discovery of Seahenge at Holme-next-the-sea in the spring of 1998 I had followed the controversy of its removal for conservation and its final return to Norfolk with great interest. Now was my chance to see the new exhibition at the very modest Kings Lynn Museum set attractively (not!) next to the town bus station. Can I say at this point what a wonderful addition the Seahenge gallery is, showing the remains and the story of this enigmatic monument off to great and sympathetic effect?

Seahenge in situ on Holme-next-the-sea beach

Seahenge at home in its new gallery

What has this all to do with glasses you might fairly ask? Well the delight of a small museum is that you’re never really sure what you might find lurking amongst the stuffed sturgeon, eel traps and enema kits. Yes all of these were on display in the converted church that makes up the rest of the museum and in their own rights would have made the journey worthwhile, but, imagine my delight to find a fine collection of vintage spectacles on display.

I surreptitiously took some photographs without a flash and the results are reproduced below.

The horse-shoe pair of sunglasses on the right has lenses that fold to the side and are in the design of the optician Richardson and date from the early 19th century. I have a pair in my own collection (see below)

Horse-shoe sunglasses from my collection

Lorgnettes and chatelaine cases

Having talked about the wonder of Seahenge, the surprise of a vintage spectacle display and the delights of small museums, I must say that my day was made by a box of “Red Draught cleansing and general cow drench” which just happened to have what looked like the “Arm and Hammer” toothpaste logo on it!!!!

It makes you think!

The second thing I’d like to address is lenses in vintage sunglasses. It seems important with the extended hot spell we are having and the onset of the summer show season to warn against taking for granted that the lenses in your favourite vintage sunglasses or your recent acquisition come up to the stringent requirements for UV protection that modern lenses offer. I would always suggest that you change the lenses in a vintage sunglass frame if you wish to wear it and replace them with modern lenses that have a full UV400 filter in them. If in doubt ask your optician or myself and wear your vintage sunglasses safely with pride.

TTFN

Deadman

I can see clearly now the rain has gone

2010-06-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all. I hope you are all enjoying the arrival of summer.

Mr and Mrs Deadman and Deadman junior have been out and about making the most of the weather and visiting some of the artists participating in Norfolk open studios http://www.nos10.org.uk/ . I was even successful in encouraging Mrs Deadman to purchase a super burlesque style etching for my upcoming birthday ( 21 again of course !)

It’s not been all play as more frames have arrived from the USA for processing. I also have a small show at Heydon Village Hall in Norfolk on 06/06/2010 with http://www.littlevintageloverfair.co.uk/ . We are outside so hoping that the weather holds.

You can get more of an insight into the life of the Deadman in an interview I have just done with Digger at http://www.retrosellers.com/ which can be seen and read at http://www.retrosellers.com/features258.htm . The interview has been illustrated with a selection of photo’s by popular vintage glamour photographer Tony Nylons. A pretty face is by far the best way of showcasing a classic frame. A photo of the lovely Lada Redstar in a mid 1950’s cat’s eye can be seen below. The frame is available at http://www.deadmensspex.com/default/1950s-style-spectacles-cats-eye-31.html

Hooray for the sun and a tall glass of Pimms

TTFN
Deadman

Hemsby Weekender or "A day in the life of The 1940's Accountant"

2010-05-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

Yes I know! I promised more, but seem to be stuck on a monthly cycle with the blog updates.

The past few weeks have been busy as we move into spring proper. I have just been to the Hemsby Rock ’n’ Roll weekender, which turned out to be very busy indeed. As it is a Norfolk show I spent much time travelling backwards and forwards to the workshop fitting sunglasses to vintage frames so that my band of merry customers could wear them on the first really sunny weekend of the year.

It wasn’t all work though, there was plenty of time to catch up with old friends such as Shona at http://www.heydayonline.co.uk/ and get an update on the progress of her new blog http://intheheyday.blogspot.com ( I must take credit, as where we pioneers lead others will follow :oD I’m whispering this as Shona has a wicked right hook! )

Shona auditioning for the role of Doc in Hemsby’s next Christmas panto!

I also met up with Chris, a fellow dispensing optician and got to hear about his latest venture into the world of rocking wedding cars. Take a look at his beautiful 1961 Ford Galaxie 352 cu V8 at http://www.v8events.co.uk/ and if the urge to wed comes upon you give him a call he can even get the reception swinging as DJ Galaxie.

Another highlight of the show was seeing the work of the very talented Su Owen with her wonderful 50’s inspired paper-cuts. Check out her work at www.sugar1970originals.com

I’m happy to report that Dead Men’s Spex have a new tea boy (at least at shows). It’s our very own Bunny Hooper The 1940’s Accountant. We broke him in gently at Hemsby as he is a weekender virgin and being an accountant unused to standing on his feet for long periods of time. His highlight of the weekend was being mistaken not once but twice as the bass playing member of one of the bands, that and a surreptitious bout of double entry book-keeping in the bar!

In a future blog I may call on Bunny to explain the finer details of the accountant’s art and how the 1940’s tax regime can save us all pounds, shillings, and pence in these troubled times

Please note that I’ve even been able to kit him out with a pair of genuine period tortoiseshell spectacles, despite his inordinately large brain filled head.

Also this past month has seen http://www.deadmensspex/ supply spectacles for the stage premier of Jonathon Harvey’s new play Canary at the Liverpool Playhouse. Liverpool born multiple award-winning writer Jonathan Harvey established his reputation with Beautiful Thing, his play-turned film for which he received an Olivier Award nomination and the John Whiting Award. As a screenwriter his credits include Gimme Gimme Gimme, Coronation Street and his recent cult series Beautiful People. With Canary Jonathan returns to the theatre where he wrote his first play.
Photos from the play can be seen at http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/Show/Canary/19/Media.aspx, look out for Mary Whitehouse wearing Dead Men’s Spex!

The next Hemsby weekend is October 7th-10th so if you are into the 1950s scene or just wish to see Bunny wielding his abacus come along and we’ll see you there!

TTFN

Deadman

Chocks Away

2010-04-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hi, sorry it’s been a while since I last updated the blog. What was supposed to be a fortnightly event is slipping towards a monthly. I’m hoping that with the return of Dead Man Junior to school and Mrs Dead Man to work, after the Easter break, to turn over a new leaf and be more disciplined............famous last words.

The past month has been a busy one. Another show under the belt with Zoe of http://www.littlevintageloverfair.co.uk/ this time at the lovely North Norfolk coastal village of Blakeney.

We have also supplied a pair of vintage sunglasses as a prize in WWII re-enactor magazine’s Pin-up competition. You can read all about this is this month’s issue available at news agents or through http://www.reenactingww2.co.uk/ .

On top of this I have taken delivery of 200 1950’s frames from the USA. They are all original unused opticians’ stock and are currently going through the workshop to make sure they are up to my exacting standards before they upload into the shop http://www.deadmensspex.com/ . A few have already hit the shop on the Ebay site http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Dead-mens-spex . With a further 200 coming in at the end of the month and Hemsby Rock ‘n’ Roll show on the way it looks like my work is cut out for the near future.

Why might you ask do new old stock frames have to go through the workshop? Well, frames are like all goods, if they sit around in boxes and drawers for 40 years or more they become dirty and misshapen. Also some plastics fare better with age than others, staying well coloured and flexible while others fade and become brittle. It is my policy that all frames I sell should be able to accept lenses being put into them. What’s the fun of owning a MG and being unable to drive it? Likewise what’s the point in having a swinging 1950’s cats eye and being unable to wear it? !!

Some of our new stock

Finally, with planes across Britain and Europe grounded due to the volcanic dust drifting down from Iceland, I think I’ve found the perfect flying goggles...

Chocks away

Dead Man

Show Time!

2010-03-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

March starts the festival and show season for us at Dead Men’s Spex.

So far we have stood a one day vintage clothing fair for our friends at Little Vintage Lover Fair http://www.littlevintageloverfair.co.uk/ in the ancient surrounds of Dragon Hall in Norwich http://www.dragonhall.org/ . It is a building that has been standing for nearly 600 years and I’m happy to report that it survived the weekend even with Angela on bacon butty duty in the kitchens.

Waiting for the decorators!

Waiting for the doors to open.

The second show of the month was a three day event at Pakefield with Hepcats Holidays http://www.hepcatsholiday.com/ . Here we found ourselves washed up amongst friends in the hulk of a holed ocean liner swinging out to the JIVE ACES the DING DONG DADDIOS and the wonderful BERNARD BERKHOUT’S SWING ORCHESTRA.

The HMS Hepcat having hit the ice floating in a huge Dry Martini

Shows have always been a way of getting to meet new customers and friends. The internet is a wonderful tool and shop front, but nothing beats meeting people face to face.

I hope to see some of you at a show soon.

Deadman

Dead Men’s Spex set the standard!

2010-03-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

I was surprised yet happy to see that one of my frames has done what I have never had chance or may I say the desire to do, it has become a TV star, all be it a small one!

In these days of celebrity and fast track stardom it should not really be a surprise when television touches your life. I knew I’d supplied some spectacles to a stylist who wanted them for an advert. The brief was “Big, black and nerdy with thick geek lenses” for “a man standing in a shower having invented windscreen-wipers for them”.

To me it was a little too close to home, bringing back painful memories of nights in with too much time on my hands, my lad’s Meccano and too many bottles of Hobgoblin. Less said the better!

What I didn’t know was that they were for a national TV campaign. You can imagine my delight and surprise when they appeared in the new Standard Life adverts that are being shown on Dave http://uktv.co.uk/dave/homepage/sid/5002 as part of their sponsorship of the channel.

The full video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/user/timeforarealitycheck#p/c/931312CFFB56628A/3/pXHp4yBXw2sunder the heading of inventor. You can also see some screen grabs of the spectacles I supplied below.

As Andy Warhol, another great spectacle wearer claimed in 1968 "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Well maybe Dead Men’s Spex is not yet world famous, but as another famous spectacle wearer (my Dad) said “get your finger out and who knows what you’re capable of.”

See http://www.deadmensspex.com/default/1950s-style-spectacles-shuron-freeway-ice.html
for similar spex to Mr Warhol’s in our stock.

Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream....and wear big Spex!

2010-02-10T01:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why spectacle frames had such small eyepieces until the mid 1960’s?

It’s a question that I get asked a lot at shows. The answer I always give is Columbia Resin!

Now I know a lot of different resins come out of Columbia but the one we are after is CR39 the plastic used to mould spectacle lenses. It was originally developed by Columbia Southern Chemical Co Inc which is where the CR comes from. The 39 comes from the fact that it was the 39th formula of a thermosetting plastic developed by the Columbia Resins project of PPG Industries back in 1940It had first been used during WWII in its uncured state, to coat the fuel tanks of bombers, as it would “self heal” if hit by flack. It was later used in its cured state to produce light, durable fuel tanks for the B17 bomber

http://www.all-about-noses.com/b17-bomber-nose-art-photos.html

Now although it has been used since 1947 to produce spectacle lenses it wasn’t really until the 1960’s that it became the backbone of spectacle fashion development. The 1960’s brought a freer look to spectacle fashion as it became an outward expression of the changes that society was experiencing. The light weight of CR39 and the fact that it could be molded into large blanks, that the lens for the frames could be cut from, unshackled designers to let their minds run free.

So as with the unshackling of many things in the 1960’s, we can see a direct link back to WWII.

As Bob Dylan sang

“Yes, 'n' how many times must a man look up before he can see the sky?....................
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,The answer is blogin' in the wind.”

Bob Dylan and Donovan (lover of big Spex)

I can see clearly now............

2010-01-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

I thought I’d take a look at the stranger side of spectacles this week. I’m not talking about the gentleman who used to come in to an opticians I was managing years back and have a gent’s frame for work and a lady’s for the weekend!

It takes allsorts and if this is the case the following guy must be the Bertie Bassett in the packet!

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/dude-gets-permanent-eyeglasses-tattoo.html

There is some talk that it might be a viral advert, perhaps Matt could give us an opinion on whether the tattooing looks right. I hope on one hand it’s for real as the effect of having to wear real glasses over the top when he needs them with age is going to look great. On the other hand, if it catches on it could be bad for business!

On a more artistic note (I know I’m asking for trouble implying that the tattoo isn’t art – but this one is at the Beano end of the art continuum) artist Stuart Haygarth http://www.stuarthaygarth.com/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1177 uses old spectacle frames to make wonderful sculptural chandeliers.

Even more spectacular is his use of 4500 used prescription lenses:

With recycling being one of the buzzwords of the 21st century finding second uses for items that would otherwise be thrown away seems eminently logical to me. The wearing of vintage and second-use clothing and spectacles puts us not just at the forefront of fashion but also at the leading edge of sustainable living.

Wear your vintage frames with pride!

I’m off to the workshop as I’ve just had a great idea for a duvet made from used spectacle cleaning cloths, can anyone thread a needle?

TTFN
D.Man

A nod and a wink to the monocle

2010-01-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

If you do a search on Google for monocles you will be told in no uncertain terms that the monocle is back.

“Monocles to be sold on high street
Monocles, last in fashion during the era of PG Wodehouse, are making a comeback.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6780193/Monocles-to-be-sold-on-high-street.html

At http://www.deadmensspex.com/ I have been selling them for the past 5 years and can indeed confirm that the proliferation of monocle wearers is a very real phenomenon (unlike the users of pince nez).

We can trace the original decline of the monocle in the early to mid 20th century to one of two causes.

Firstly the monocle took a public relations hit in Great Britain just post WWI due to its close association with the enemy High Command. Caricatures were used in the press of the day to ridicule and demonise the Hun who was invariably wearing a monocle to symbolise arrogance and haughtiness. You’d have thought that a lesson would have been learned, but, come WWII they were at it again!

Secondly and perhaps more importantly was the demise of the waist-coated suit which by the 1940’s was well on the way out with the advent of double breasted suits. The increased wear by men of casual clothing and the popularity of pullovers and the ubiquitous sleeveless pullover (soon to be known as the TANK TOP Aghh!!) sounded the final death knell of the monocle as the waistcoat pocket was its true home. Un-housed and left to roam it quickly went the way of its companion the fob watch.

So why the increased demand for this rudimentary optical device that with improved refraction techniques and contact lenses should really have gone the way of the dodo?

I would suggest that firstly they are the perfect device to carry when a lens is required to aid short periods of reading i.e. the menu at your favourite bistro, as they are small, light and easily carried.

Secondly with the increase in popularity of historical re-enactment and lifestyle, nothing shouts "Dandy" or "Cad" like a monocle!

TTFN

D.Man

Snow blind in Norfolk

2010-01-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a good Christmas and has made it to the New Year unscathed. I am presently hibernating from the freezing temperatures and copious amounts of snow we have in North Norfolk and venturing out to the workshop only under duress, having first put the heater on for at least an hour before doing so.

The snow has got me thinking though. Living within 20 miles of Norwich I often go to the the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts www.scva.ac.uk . This has a fine collection spanning 5000 years of human creativity and not surprisingly this collection contains eyewear. To be specific it contains a certain type of eyewear pertinent to the snowy weather that is currently affecting us – Snow Goggles

In the Arctic, the sun shines low on the horizon twenty-four hours a day for nearly 190 days of the summer ( I thought it was bad here after a fortnight !!). To combat snow blindness which occurs when the sunlight reflects off the surface of the snow combines with the light angled directly into the eyes so burning the retina, the local tribes came up with the snow goggle.
This consisted of eyewear fashioned from bone, antlers, leather or wood carved to fit the curvature of the head and across the nose with two slits for the eyes. The frame was then held in place with animal sinew. The slits allowed them to see, but blocked enough light to prevent snow blindness.

According to the Canada’s National History Society the first snow goggles date back to the Thule Inuit, two thousand years ago.

Below is a picture of one of the frames in the Sainsbury collection.

Snow goggles. North America, Bering Sea. Punuk period, c. AD 500-1200. Walrus ivory. w. 13.1 x h. 3.5 x d. 2.5 cm. Acquired 1982. Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection. UEA 830

Place
Bering Sea
Object category
Implement, NA (prehistoric eskimo)
Material
Walrus ivory
Dimensions
Height 35 mmWidth 131 mmDepth 25 mm

Now while researching this I came across probably the best pair of Snow Goggles that you could own in these credit crunching days:

http://scavenging.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/ten-practical-uses-for-your-credit-cards/

So come Visa expiry date watch out for the coolest pair of Spex - eat your heart out Kanye West you're 2000 years out of date - go Google a goggle!!

So stay warm and keep an eye on the blog as it's monocles next.

D.Man

Toll the bell, dig the hole, tend the pyre, but leave the spectacles for me

2009-12-12T03:05:00.000-08:00

Toll the bell, dig the hole, tend the pyre, but leave the spectacles for me -
with appologies to Thomas Lynch "Local Heroes" www.thomaslynch.com

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been asked “why Dead Men’s Spex?”

I usually give the standard response about being in partnership with the local undertakers and the bit about coffin robbing! This usually amuses and deflects from the real question “why Dead Men’s Spex?”

Truth be known, what initially started as a name to make people look twice has become a philosophy of business.

It stands for the uncomplicated nature of the business, in that; it is honestly where many of our frames come from.

This then hopefully reflects the nature of the path many of us have taken, looking back at the fashions and skills of our forbearers and literally taking on their mantle. We recognise the quality of vintage wares, much of them handmade and tailored in a time when we were the workshop of the World (at this point I’m going to stop as this is when I start to sound like my father ! :oD )

These skills and qualities are amply reflected in the frames made by Algha http://www.algha.com/ . A longstanding London based producer of fine rolled gold frames. They are still in production with their Saville Row Collection but it is their early pre-war and wartime frames that are most sought after by many connoisseurs of immaculately engineered fashion. I use the word engineered on purpose as if you take a look at one of their frame illustrations of the 1920’s you could imagine that you were looking at a schematic plan for a bridge or building.

So here we are posting 3 on the blog and already talking philosophy and the nature of life the universe and all the little bits in between. I’m off to do a little grave-digging now, well, a guy’s got to make a living some how ..............

D.Man

Vintage NHS Spectacles and not a truss in sight!!

2009-12-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone over the age of thirty and a glasses wearer since childhood is likely to have been made familiar with the NHS 524 spectacle frame. What was once the horror of all children has metamorphosed into a British Fashion Icon.

Helped along initially by Morrissey http://www.itsmorrisseysworld.com/ the NHS 524 has taken its place alongside other 1970’s Icons such as flared trousers, kipper ties, platform shoes and a quick fag behind the bike shed!

Ok, perhaps that pushing it a little ( although the bike shed did have a formative effect on many a person of a certain age and so should probably be given honouree iconic status) but why should this humble spectacle frame succeed where many others have failed? It’s simple, it all about style!

Simple lines, classic design and quality materials will win through every time. The colour choices were limited but classic – Black, Tortoiseshell, Blue and Pink (yes I know that there was Autumn Leaf as well but there has to be an exception to every rule!), it was made in a multitude of sizes, unlike today’s one size fits all culture. Above all else it reminds us of our past, our childhood where summers lasted for ever and curly wurlys were twice as big as today.

Check out these stars who seem to agree and take a look at our latest vintage NHS frames at http://www.deadmensspex.com/

From top left: Scarlett Johansson, Johnny Depp, Mark Ronson and the man himself Morrissey

Looking forward, looking back. The delights of vintage spectacles.

2009-12-02T03:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you for looking in on what I hope will be a weekly look at the world of vintage spectacles from the home of vintage eyewear www.deadmensspex.com

There are many of you out there who are dressing in the most wonderful period outfits, but, how many of you think about the first thing people see when they look in your face? No I don't mean fear, loathing or the remains of a surreptitiously eaten biscuit around you mouth, I mean your spectacles!

Nothing is going to ruin the illusion of you being the most delicious, lost 1940's model than a modern pair of spex. How many WWII soldiers marched into war wearing Timmy Mallets' cast offs, and would Buddy Holly have been seen dead in a pair of 1980's aviators?

Here we have our friend Miss Fleur de Guerre, part-time pinup girl and full-time Forties enthusiast www.diaryofavintagegirl.com showing what a difference the correct period eyewear can make.

TTFN

D. Man