This pair of late 1800s tinted mesh goggles are on display at the University Museum.
In honor of the University of Mississippi Museum‘s 75th anniversary this year, the Ole Miss News Blog is featuring 75 different items from the museum’s archives of more than 20,000 objects.
Today’s featured item is a pair of tinted goggles with wire mesh that date back to the late 1800s. The goggles have blue lenses and two straps that tie in the back.
In the 1800s, wire mesh “cinder” goggles were used in early railroad carriages, which didn’t have windows. Cinders and dust blew into passenger compartments, and passengers used goggles to keep dust out of their eyes. Wire mesh cinder goggles were also worn by Civil War artillery soldiers, who needed to keep smoke and sparks from their eyes when they fired cannons.
The well-preserved goggles are a gift from Major Mildred Ferguson.
As part of the museum’s anniversary celebration, admission is free through Aug. 8, 2015. There will be a lot to see as the museum introduces several new exhibits and unveils a new major gift as well as the reinstallation of the David M. Robinson Collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.
To see a complete list of upcoming events and information on the new exhibitions, click here.
The University Museum is open to the public 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The museum is closed Mondays and regular university holidays. Its facilities are handicapped-accessible. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7084.