The production of glasses in, what once was, Czechoslovakia has been an unjustly omitted chapter of the local design and fashion. The fact that spectacles have long been considered a mere medical device or even a defect of a person’s looks instead of a decorative accessory is here partly to blame. Recently, several enthusiasts carried out the first research in this field, and the Retromuseum Cheb exhibition summarizes its results. The scholars’ efforts helped examine interesting archival sources and collect a wide range of artifacts demonstrating the rich tradition and excellent quality of the Czechoslovak spectacle design that could at its time perfectly stand the test of the competition from abroad.

The exhibition exclusively focuses on spectacle frames dating to the Czechoslovak era. It also introduces the earliest glasses from around the world, on loan from the collection of Vilém Rudolf. These illustrate the genesis of their design and offer an insight into spectacle craftsmanship and its technologies. Some exhibited models pair with pictures of the famous personalities of the local history, which would today be unimaginable without their characteristic accessories. 

One of the main aims of the exhibition is to draw attention to the work of Jaroslav Trubač, the designer of the most distinctive types of spectacle frames from between 1964 and 1988, and to present them within the context of Czechoslovak design.

The project “Glasses and Spectacles” was first presented on a smaller scale in 2021 at the Czech

Designblok show, where it received the Prize for an Extraordinary Exploit from the expert jury.