Famous safety glasses up for auction

September 25, 2009

Even some of the most famous names throughout history had to don protective eyewear from time to time. For one woman, it not only protected her eyes, but the glasses in question were very well-travelled.

On Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9, Profiles in History will be auctioning off Amelia Earhart's flight safety glasses. They have aluminum frames and tinted eyeglass lenses so she was not bothered by glare from the sun.

In addition, the safety glasses feature wool padding to keep them comfortable and leather straps with which they were fitted to her helmet. She wore these glasses when she became the second person to cross the Atlantic, precisely five years after Charles Lindberg crossed the same ocean, alone.

These eyeglasses aren't going to be on the cheap side. The auctioneer estimates that they will sell for $100,000 to $150,000.

Those who wear regular glasses, however, can easily pick up a pair of prescription eyeglasses for a fraction of the price. It is a good idea to don such eyewear when participating in contact sports to protect both the wearer's eyes and his or her own eyeglasses.