Eye Spy

Today we had an Awayday in London, with one of my friends from Uni. We went to the  Wellcome Collection on Euston Road to see the current  special  exhibition, entitled, "In Plain Sight " .It explores the  different ways  we see, and are seen by others. There were four broad themes: symbolism of the eye eg the third eye, bias in visual perception, eye wear and identity,  and the  interconnection  between senses.  

There were many examples of spectacles designed over the past few centuries  for different uses, e.g sunglasses, eye protection in industry and for leisure pursuits such as skiing. There were fancy lorgnettes and  quizzers, and this interesting horn cockade brise fan from 1810. In the central pivot is a spy glass, with a powerful lens, which  allows  the user to conceal herself, while being able  to observe other people secretly. Very handy at the theatre  or opera house!  

The exhibition wasn't  quite what I was expecting. I thought it would  be more  scientific/optical, but alongside  historical sight testing equipment and spectacles, it contained quite a lot about psychology, and artwork  by visually impaired people, which broadened its scope. 
We found all it very interesting if, at times, a little challenging.