Not to be confused with the early monoculars called lorgnettes by the French, these spyglasses resembled spectacles more than their predecessors. Lorgnettes first became popular in 1785 when George Adams began designing cases for them. In 1825, Robert Betell Bate improved the design and the lorgnette became a fashion necessity.
Lorgnettes were held in front of the eyes by means of a handle and were most often folded into protective cases. Unlike other spyglasses, lorgnettes were used to correct vision and had lenses ground for either reading or for distance. Similar to monoculars, they were created with very expensive materials and were first bought primarily by the upper classes.
Although spectacles, the term lorgnette comes from the French word lorgner, which means to leer or stare. In 1870, Tome’s Bazar Book of Decorum states: "The functions of the natural eye and eyeglasses are much abused. It is quite clear that the whole world of fashion has not all of a sudden become so afflicted with short sightedness as to render the use of artificial means for its relief universally necessary...Nothing can be more ill bred, and we assert it in the face of assenting fashion, than ogling a stranger in the streets…or surveying a neighbor at the theatre with a lorgnette."