Antique monacle! Anyone familiar? Any collectors?

Hey guys, so I just came across a pretty unique piece of history. This is a monacle that was used by the late Salvatore Dali. From what I know it was crafted in the late 1950's. The person whom owns it says it is worth big bucks. Has anyone seen a monacle like this? I threw it in the lensometer and I cant get a good reading, anywhere from -12.00 to -15.00 with some centrifugal rings on the lens that are distoring the diopters, it in a way, it looks like a fresnel press on. Anyway here are some pics, if anyone is familiar with anything like this please message me. I want to know if it is a one-of-a-kind item and really worth any real money. Also if any collectors out there are interested shoot me a message. Thanks in advance for any info!

Attachment 8519Attachment 8520Attachment 8521

I am a collector.

What makes you think that these are really Dali's?

Did they bring it in just to show you or are they trying sell it to you?

Any documentation?

They gotta be Dali's Fezz. Just look at one of his paintings!!

If he owned it why would it be in a presentation box like that, where his name looks like a brand?

Yes Fezz, from what I understand they were actually Dali's. The guy was asking if I knew about anyone who could fix that chipped lens, he has the piece that chipped off. He is a limo driver for many famous people, and claimed he also has pictures of Dali using them. He seemed interested in selling it, claiming it was worth upwards of 20k. I have more pictures if you would like.

It would be worth more whitout being fixed in my experience.

If he had a picture of Dali using them it may be worth more.

The case seems really hokey to me.

Was Dali that high a myope -12.00 to -15.00? I've never seen any pictures of him wearing glasses. Who would put that high a minus Rx in a hand held monocle in front of their eyes just to walk around or to see anyting in front of them. He would have to hold this in one hand and paint with the other. Monocles are usually plus lenes that are used for magnifiying near print. Dali was quite the showman and alot of his artwork is faked. He even supposedly sold something like 50,000 blank,signed, art quality sheets to whomever to paint what they wanted on them so they could resell and also make money. I would be very suspicious of this monacle belonging to Dali without serious documentation.

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Originally Posted by walleye

Was Dali that high a myope -12.00 to -15.00? I've never seen any pictures of him wearing glasses. Who would put that high a minus Rx in a hand held monocle in front of their eyes just to walk around or to see anyting in front of them. He would have to hold this in one hand and paint with the other. Monocles are usually plus lenes that are used for magnifiying near print. Dali was quite the showman and alot of his artwork is faked. He even supposedly sold something like 50,000 blank,signed, art quality sheets to whomever to paint what they wanted on them so they could resell and also make money. I would be very suspicious of this monacle belonging to Dali without serious documentation.

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Exactly!

The only thing that interested me is the power and quality of the "lens". He often worked with distorted and skewed views. Occluding one eye and having the the other very over corrected and altered would fit his MO.

Intriguing to say the least.

Yes, the guy said that it was used when he painted. Peering through it with your other eye closed gives a really distorted, prismatic, psychedelic perception to whatever your looking at.

He said he will come back with some documentation and even pictures of this actual one being used.

If it all is true would anyone know what the value of this could be? Also as a collector would you be interested in buying it?

Also, the lens is a very thin, extremely subtle bi-concave plastic. I'll try and take more pictures of it to show greater detail of what I'm talking about.

I would love it, but would not spend the money on it.

Here are a few leads that might help. I have not used these companies, know nothing about them, don't profit by referring, etc. just trying to help!

www.thedali.org

www.salvador-dali.org

http://www.house-of-francheska.co.uk/vintagedesigns220.htm

http://www.salvadordaliexperts.com/dalinews.html

Thanks Fezz, much appreciated. If I can get my hands on it by offering some free or discounted specs to the guy I will let you know.

He is quite a character and I may be able to get it really cheap, he seems like the type of guy that is in desperate need of money right now and looking to sell anything he has accumulated from celebrities over the years of driving them around.

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Originally Posted by Java99

If he owned it why would it be in a presentation box like that, where his name looks like a brand?

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Excellent observation. I agree.

You might want to call the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Perersburg, FL and ask a curator there if they know if Dali used this monacle. I was there around 5 years ago for a Dali exhibit that came from Spain It was the last day of a 2 year exhibit and the place was packed. There was a docent there lecturing a huge crowd and he said: I know what you are all thinking-what drug was Dali on when he painted? In fact he would make himself sleep deprived so he could see these weird illusions and then he painted them. Also when he did sleep the bed was very narrow and he slept on his back holding out from him a piece of silverware in each hand. When he had a weird or scary dream that startled him he would drop the silverware and wake up and paint the dream!!

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Originally Posted by walleye

Also when he did sleep the bed was very narrow and he slept on his back holding out from him a piece of silverware in each hand. When he had a weird or scary dream that startled him he would drop the silverware and wake up and paint the dream!!

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That is so many kinds of awesome I don't even know where to start.

Hey Phillyeyes, What are the dimensions of this monacle? Also, if the owner thinks it was from the 50's how could it be plastic as plastic CR-39 wasn't invented until the late 60's early 70's. Just a thought.

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Originally Posted by walleye

Hey Phillyeyes, What are the dimensions of this monacle? Also, if the owner thinks it was from the 50's how could it be plastic as plastic CR-39 wasn't invented until the late 60's early 70's. Just a thought.

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Cr-39 developed in 1940

1947 for the Cr-39 resin lenses for glasses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CR-39

Anymore info?

I have only been able to find a few photos with him wearing or holding a small monocle, but nothing remotely similar to what you have shown.

I keep coming back to my initial thought of;

This is a gift shop trinket that when you hold it up and look thru it, it gave you a distorted view, similar to how he painted.

http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/...ba-d4e50kb.jpg
Here is a surreast picture of Dali with a monocle, the pictures above are a lorgnette with a handle and not a monocle.


http://archive.4chon.net/r9k/636657/...6855273818.jpg

Hey PhillyEyes......any update on this?