Google Doodle Celebrates 116th Birthday Of Altina Schinasi, Cat-Eye Frame Designer

Google on Friday celebrated the 116th birthday of Altina Schinasi, a sculptor best known for designing cat-eye glasses, with a doodle. The doodle is shaped like a frame with measurement arrows on the sides. It uses Ms Schinasi's face in the stylised name of the company (one of the Os in Google), which is visible through the orange-coloured frame. Clicking on the doodle takes users to a page where they can find all the relevant information about the US-born sculptor, filmmaker and entrepreneur.

Ms Schinasi was born on August 4, 1907, to immigrant parents in Manhattan, New York. She was taught at home in the initial years and left home at the age of 12 to board at Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

After completing the high school, Ms Schinasi moved to Paris to study painting which ignited her interest in the field of arts.

She started working with Peter Copeland after coming back to the US. It was in this job that she found herself working alongside Spanish artist Salvador Dali, who was designing two windows of American luxury department store Bonwit Teller.

She later learned from Mr Dali at an arts class run by German artist George Grosz. One day, while walking down the street, she found the existing frames of glasses very dull.

"At the window display of a nearby optician's office, she noticed that the only option for women's glasses tended to be round frames with mundane designs," said Google.

This gave her a creative idea to create eyeglass frame - then known as Harlequin frames - that defined glamour in late 1930s.

She believed that the pointed edges are flattering to the face and started cutting paper demos of her innovative frame design. 

Moving ahead towards execution, all major manufacturers rejected her creation claiming it to be edgy. She was adamant and approached a local shop owner.

The owner trusted her craft and the Harlequin glasses quickly became a success, earning Ms Schinasi much publicity.

She also ventured into the world of films and produced a documentary in 1960 by her former teacher, George Grosz.

Ms Schinasi published her memoir The Road I Have Travelled in 1995. The sculptor died on August 19, 1999.