This photograph shows glasses specifically designed to view a total solar eclipse on August 31, 1932. The eclipse’s path of totality crossed parts of Canada and northern New England—passing through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine—before continuing over the Atlantic.
The event attracted both professional astronomers and members of the public. Scientific teams set up specialized equipment to photograph the eclipse and study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, while newspapers and local organizations circulated viewing advice for amateur observers. Contemporary guidance urged viewers not to look directly at the Sun and recommended smoked glass or photographic negatives; inexpensive eclipse viewers were also available
Image from Vermont History Museum, Montpelier, Vermont via Wikimedia Commons
