Dinner at the Led Robster

HERE we are again, viewing these unusual blinders. It only took a small suggestion from Dawn, and I zipped up to the attic to do a self-portrait before putting them back in the box.
The blinders are used during fraternal initiations, when "candidates" who want to join the fraternity (not a college fraternity; the Masons) put them on for just a while to participate in the ceremony they go through.
I have no clue what else the ceremony entails, but I do know it is nothing unholy and involves no animal sacrifices. It is quite inspirational, I guess, and solemn.
It was quite dark inside the blinders before I opened them up by holding the little knobs and tipping them up. There is quite a strong spring on one side, which yields when the knobs are flipped and stretches to allow the blinders to open up.
It was a frantically busy day today with two projects actually finished and one halfway done. Then we went out to the Red Lobster for dinner with my son and daughter-in-law and my granddaughter and her fiancé. Restaurant food always - usually - *sounds* like a good idea, but nothing beats a home-cooked meal. Imagine the amount of food you could buy for $130. (The Reisling was very good, however.) Now I am sitting here typing with a stomach that feels as if it contains an entire watermelon. And I am getting so sleepy . . . femminismo

Steam Punk or Fraternal?

LOOK what I found today! An interesting part of a fraternal requirement for initiation.
I think these are something that might inspire steam punk inventors to make elaborate eyewear. I feature a sort of Mad Max character wearing these blinders, but with lenses put into them, or darkened glass that would be lifted up when the wearer desired to speak eyeball to eyeball with someone.
These are not mine. I will put them back in the storage attic tomorrow, but I thought I would share this antique apparatus with you. They remind me of something Urbandon (Don P.) would make.
The inside of them is lined with a sort of red or purple velvet-type material and an ordinary cotton string ties them on the wearer. I like the little "knobs" that helps you lift the eye coverings. A little kinky, maybe? Or maybe not.
They were definitely made by someone who was into his craft - femminismo