Celebrating Altina Schinasi’s 116th Birthday – Google Doodle Tribute
On August 4, the Google search engine will use its Doodle to honor the 116th birthday of renowned American designer Altina “Tina” Schinasi, who is best recognized for creating the well-known “cat-eye” eyeglass frame. Schinasi, who was born on this day in 1907 in Manhattan, New York, to immigrant parents, followed her artistic passion for painting after graduating from high school in Paris. Schinasi’s artistic path began on the streets of Manhattan.
She worked as a window dresser for numerous stores on Fifth Avenue while honing her artistic abilities at The Art Students League in New York City. She had the honor of working with and learning from artistic legends like Salvador Dali and George Grosz during this time, whose influence was crucial in forming her creative vision.
When Schinasi was working as a designer of window displays, she came up with the revolutionary concept for the “cat-eye” frame. She set out to develop a new and distinctive option for ladies after realizing that their choices for eyeglasses were confined to spherical frames with uninspiring styles.
She had the idea for eyeglasses with pointed ends that would draw attention to and enhance the wearer’s face since they were inspired by the seductive shape of Harlequin masks worn during the Carnevale celebration in Venice, Italy. Schinasi persevered in her pursuit despite receiving numerous rejections from big manufacturers who thought her invention was too unorthodox, cutting paper prototypes of her revolutionary design.
Her breakthrough came when a nearby business owner saw the potential in her design and asked for a six-month exclusivity agreement. In the US, ladies quickly adopted the Harlequin spectacles as a fashion statement in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Due to her creation, Schinasi received a great deal of praise, including the renowned Lord & Taylor American Design Award in 1939. Respected periodicals like Vogue and Life also recognized her contribution to the fashion industry.
She also started making movies, creating the captivating documentary “George Grosz’ Interregnum” on the renowned artist and former instructor George Grosz. It got a lot of praise, was nominated for an Academy Award, and won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1960.
Schinasi kept pursuing new artistic endeavors as the years passed. She wrote her memoir, “The Road I Have Traveled,” in her senior years, giving readers an insight into her remarkable life story. She also worked as a volunteer art therapist, applying her artistic skills to the benefit of others.
“Nearly 100 years after its invention, Altina’s cat-eye design is still having an impact on global trends in fashion accessories. “Happy birthday to the woman who was a visionary in more ways than one!” In the blog post, Google stated.
