30 Fascinating Vintage Portraits of People Wearing Pince-Nez Spectacles From the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Pince-nez is a style of glasses, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that are supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the nose. The name comes from French pincer, “to pinch,” and nez, “nose.”

Early versions were simple lorgnettes without handles, designed to rest lightly on the nose. At first, they were often associated with scholars, clergy, and the upper classes, as spectacles in general still carried social stigma.

By the mid-1800s, pince-nez had become widespread across Europe and America. They were prized for their compactness—easy to slip into a pocket or hang from a ribbon or chain. They became especially common among professionals, academics, and politicians. Mark Twain, Anton Chekhov, and Theodore Roosevelt all wore pince-nez, helping solidify their intellectual and dignified image.

Around 1900–1920, pince-nez began to decline in favor of modern spectacles with sidearms (temples), which were more stable and comfortable for active use. By the 1930s, they were considered old-fashioned and often caricatured in popular culture as a symbol of fussy intellectuals or stern authority figures.

Today, pince-nez are rare but remembered as an iconic style of eyewear associated with the Victorian and Edwardian eras. They still appear in historical dramas and period films, and vintage pairs are collectible. Some opticians even make modern reproductions for enthusiasts.