Saturday 23 May 2015

Getting A Pair of Glasses Similar To My 2x-Great-Grandfather's

One thing I've been wanting to do lately is to take photos of myself dressed and posed the same way my ancestors are in photographs. One particular photograph I've been wanting to do this with is my great-great-grandfather Fredrick Joseph Sullivan Meagher.

Fredrick was born August 4, 1876 in Boston. He died there as well on August 31, 1933, ages 57. I have three photos of Fredrick, all taken later on in his life. Two of the three photos I have consist of him wearing a boater hat, round rim eyeglasses, and a suit and tie. 

The photo of Fred below is the one I am trying to replicate. 


Last year, I went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and visited the Wilderness Lodge Leather & Hat Shop. There, I found a boater hat almost exactly like Fred's (the only difference being the ribbon wrapped around the hat) and bought it for $50. Now having the hat, I next set out to find a pair of glasses like Fred's. 

Last week, I went to Vision Works in Brockton, Massachusetts because I was told they might have some. When I went, the ones I saw weren't what I was looking for (even if they were, the cost was a minimum of $179.99) but an associate there told me that he had a pair of glasses at home that were donated that might be what I was looking for. This donated pair did not meet the requirements to be sold in the store so he said I could have them. I went back yesterday to pick up these glasses. I saw them and they were virtually a perfect match to what Fred wore!

The Glasses

These glasses, however, do not have lens. If I wanted to change that and get at least fake ones put in, it would cost me a minimum of $59. I would like lens put in these glasses somewhere down the road if possible but I'm going to explore cheaper options first.

Now having both glasses and the boater hat, my next step is to get a tie and a suit. After that, it's simply a matter of how and where this photo will be taken.

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

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