Cylindrical case for wire snow goggles

A cylindrical tin case with lid for snow goggles from the 1845 British Northwest Passage Expedition led by Sir John Franklin. The case is sheet tin soldered down one end with a detachable lid. The goggles found in a cylindrical tin case are AAA2195.

The snow goggles and this case were found at the boat site in Erebus Bay by Captain F. L. McClintock's sledge team on 30 May 1859, as part of the search expedition led by McClintock The site had been visited and partially investigated by Lt. William Hobson on 24 May but his report does not list everything he saw or removed. McClintock records ’a pair of blue glass spectacles, or goggles, with steel frame, and wire gauze encircling the glasses, in a tin case'. [McClintock, Voyage of the Fox (1859), page 367].

The goggles and case were displayed at the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, Case 2, No. 92 'Tin case with spectacles (green glass)' [Note the colour is incorrect]. The item is also shown in - 'Stereoscopic slides of the relics of Sir John Franklin's Expedition' photographed by Lieutenant Cheyne RN, at the United Services Museum, Whitehall, No. 5 (top, left of centre).

Object Details

ID: AAA2195.1
Type: Spectacles case
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Events: Arctic Exploration: Franklin Search Expedition, Schwatka, 1878-1880
Date made: circa 1845
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 110 mm x 35 mm
Parts: Wire and glass snow goggles (Snow goggles)
  • Cylindrical case for wire snow goggles (Spectacles case) (AAA2195.1)