Beschreibung:

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) - A pair of early 20th century c1920 gold plated circular rimmed spectacles by repute owned and worn by Mahatma Gandhi. The spectacles of usual form, with sprung gold plated arms and prescription lenses. Joined by a gold plated nose bar (an early solder repair is present). The spectacles formed an important and somewhat iconic part of Gandhi's overall appearance. It was known that he would often give away his old or unwanted pairs to those in need or those who had helped him. Housed within their original Curry & Paxton Ltd glasses case, with blue baize lining and leatherette covering. Provenance: The glasses were given to Samuel (Sydney) Silverman MP, the vendor's relative, at a documented meeting in Poona, India, in 1946. Silverman was born and educated in Liverpool and gifted them to the vendor's father, an antiques dealer in London at the time (1960s) who dealt with European royalty and other high profile clients. Silverman is most well known for bringing in the Private Members Bill to abolish hanging in 1965 after 30 years of lobbying, and as an opposition MP was often described as a thorn in the side of Winston Churchill He was also the recipient of the infamous 1942 Riegner telegram, the first confirmed intelligence report of the imminent plans for the Holocaust, thanks to an informant with access to the SS and Himmler. He was also a founding member of CND, having been a conscientious objector during WW1 (likely a reason he and Churchill clashed) and served prison time for this in Wormwood Scrubs and Belfast. This belief in pacifism is something he shared with Gandhi as well as both being lawyers and politicians, and almost certainly led to their diplomatic meeting on March 8th 1946 in Poona, India, the transcript of which was documented and published within the historical Louis Fischer Papers, now held between collections at Princeton University and the Smithsonian. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British Rule, and in turn inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi's birthday, 2 October, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence. Gandhi is commonly, though not formally, considered the Father of the Nation in India, and was commonly called Bapu (Father).