Bernhardt’s Eyeglass Magnifier

When Sarah Bernhardt died on March 26, 1923, she was seventy-nine years old and in production for the movie, La Voyante. She was still a very big star. Thirty thousand people attended her funeral with huge crowds following her coffin along the streets of Paris.

Her son, Maurice, was quick to liquidate her estate and most of her belongings were sold off. Some items, however, were bequeathed to or kept by family. One of these items was a beautiful eyeglass magnifier which was retained by her granddaughter, Lysiane.

Lysiane was close with her grandmother and often traveled with her. She even wrote a book about her, Sarah Bernhardt: ma grand'mère, which was published in 1945.

Lysiane married briefly but never had children. As she aged, she passed on some of Sarah Bernhardt’s treasures to friends. One of those friends was a woman named Asa. When Asa died, her will stipulated Sarah Bernhardt’s eyeglass magnifier was to be left to a young man she had befriended years earlier in Paris, Eryk Hanut. Eryk, who also had no children, met David W. Menefee when he was researching his first book. Hanut gave the antique magnifier eyeglass to him. A few years ago, David, delighted by my interest in Sarah Bernhardt and my work developing Bernhardt On Broadway, was delighted to give the eyeglass to me. It will, no doubt, be used as a prop in the movie musical.

The eyeglass magnifier is housed in a beautiful green case with light brown velvet lining. It is lovingly worn as one would expect with an item that was used often.