Nefeli 091

These myodisc glasses were among my first finds at the Waterlooplein flea market in the early 1970's. The frame was by then already completely outdated. I mainly bought this pair because of the myodisc lenses which had vanished from the streets after the arrival of contact lenses in 1967.
A myodisc lens was only used by people with extreme myopia. It consists of two parts: a circle shaped "bowl" with the required prescription, surrounded by a plano - or even positive - carrier lens. It was a practical solution that reduced the lens thickness at the edges. The down side was of course the visibility of the demarcation between bowl and carrier lens. Back in 1960, glasses were still widely regarded "a pity" and myodisc glasses were associated with being handicapped. As a result, girls and women in myodisc glasses tended to be shy or even uneasy when you looked at them. There were no high index lenses then so once myopia had reached about -15, there was no alternative for myodisc lenses. I clearly remember seeing many girls and women wearing myodisc lenses in the streets of Amsterdam in my childhood. They were rare sightings but not extremely rare.