The Making of Sunglasses
Roman Emperor Nero "made" the first sunglasses by watching gladiator competitions through polished light emerald green gems held up to his eyes. The true invention of sunglasses was somewhere between 1268 and 1289.
Around the twelfth century and before 1430 sunglasses were worn by Judges in the Courts of China. The smoky quartz flat-glassed panes were not used as protection from the sun. They were used to conceal any expression in their eyes to keep from giving away the outcome of their decisions. Prescription sunglasses were developed in Italy in 1430 and were later used by the Chinese Judges.
By the 1600's people began to realize the benefits of prescription glasses as helping the elderly to see better and the motto "A Blessing to the Aged" came into being in 1629. In the mid 18th Century James Ayscough developed blue and green corrective lenses which began the use of sunglasses for correcting optical impairments.
The development of glasses and sunglasses evolved. Problems in keeping eyeglasses propped on the nose led to experiments. Glasses frames had been made from leather bones and metal and were propped on the nose. Sidepieces began as silk strips of ribbon that looped around the ears. Instead of loops the Chinese added ceramic weights to the ends of the ribbons. Solid sidepieces were invented by Edward Scarlett in 1730. Benjamen Franklin's invention of bifocal lenses followed in 1780.
By the 20th Century sunglasses were used to protect the eyes from the sun. In 1929 Sam Foster began selling his protective sunglasses at Woolworth stores on the boardwalk at the beaches in Atlantic City and New Jersey. His Foster Grants were the first mass-produced sunglasses and they began the trend of sunglasses for fashion.
In the 1930's the Army Air Corps asked Bausch & Lomb to develop sunglasses that would efficiently reduce high-altitude sun glare for pilots. Bausch & Lomb came up with sunglasses that had a dark green tint that absorbed light through the yellow spectrum.
Edward H. Land had invented the Polaroid filter and by 1936 he was using it in the making of sunglasses and soon sunglasses became "cool." Movies stars began wearing sunglasses as a statement and to hide behind. Aviator glasses became popular with the movie stars and the general public in 1937 after Ray Ban developed the anti-glare sunglasses using polarization. The longer lens was created to give more protection to pilots' eyes from the light reflecting off their control panels.
By the 1970's Hollywood stars and fashion designers made a huge impact on the sunglasses market. Clothing designers and stars put their names on glasses and sunglasses and everyone had to have them.
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The Dark History of Sunglasses
... Sunglasses have a dark history but a brilliant future. The history of sunglasses can be traced back to Roman Emperor Nero who watched the gladiator competitions through polished light emerald green gems held up to his eyes. The invention of sunglasses was somewhere between 1268 and 1289. A visual historical recording of early sunglasses is a painting done by Tommaso da Modena in 1352. The person in the painting was wearing sunglasses. This was the first painting of a subject in sunglasses and many more were to follow as it became a fashionable symbol of distinction or honor. ...
The faces behind famous sunglasses
... Who Made Sunglasses Popular? We know by simply looking around that sunglasses are a pop culture phenomenon. Have you ever stopped to wonder how they became this way? Humans seem to have an obsession with sunglasses as more than protection for their eyes. Sunglasses make a statement about the face they're sitting on ...
... Roman Emperor Nero "made" the first sunglasses by watching gladiator competitions through polished light emerald green gems held up to his eyes. The true invention of sunglasses was somewhere between 1268 and 1289. Around the twelfth century and before 1430 ...
... Summer is upon us and with it comes a wave of new styles. Perhaps the most fun about summer style is finding out which sunglasses will be hot this year. The key to the hippest styles usually has nothing to do with what is brand new. Most "new" style trends are simply spins off of formerly worn ...
... Everyone loves a good pair of sunglasses. With all the benefits of sunglasses it's hard to have an excuse not to wear them. You may even want to tell your friends about all the great things a pair of shades can do for you. You probably own one or two pair of standard issue Jackie-O's or Aviators ...
... As with virtually anything else in life there is a time an place for sunglasses. Most would agree that the benefits of protective eyewear are tried and true. Still there are times and places that your sunglasses are not appropriate. Additionally there are also times and places that they're just not going to do you any good. ...
Where and When to Wear Sunglasses
... You may have a favorite pair of sunglasses that goes great with a certain outfit. You might also have a tendency to wear a pair of sunglasses you just got religiously...for a week. Then you never pick them up again. Sunglasses do you no good on your dresser or in the visor of your car. It is important to wear sunglasses at all the appropriate and important times. ...
... Where can you find a pair of sunglasses to fit your eyewear needs? Sunglasses are absolutely everywhere! It is hard to walk into a retail store and not see a display of sunglasses. In fact listing off the places that don't sell them might be faster. Hardware stores ...
... Ultimately everyone should care about their vision and want to protect it. However there are certain groups of individuals that should especially wear sunglasses. This is for their safety and the safety of others. Drivers are one very important group that should always have sunglasses handy. Whether you are driving your own vehicle or a bus full of people ...
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