The Evolution of Sunglasses
Around the twelfth century and before 1430, sunglasses were worn by Judges in the Courts of China. Smoky quartz, flat-glassed panes were not used as protection from the sun, however. 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 realise the benefits of prescription glasses as helping the elderly to see better. In 1629, Britain's first spectacle makers was formed. Its coat of arms showed three pairs of glasses and the motto: "A blessing to the aged".Tinted lenses became popular around this time. Round lenses were pretty much universal until the end of the 18th century, when oval lenses became fashionable.
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 or simply propped on the nose ('Pinz Nez'). 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.
In 2007, stars are still hiding behind their oversized designer sunglasses, making fashion statements and protecting their eyes from the harmful effects of the Ultra Violet (UV) rays of the sun. With modern technology and improvements, the making of sunglasses continues to evolve. Sunglasses are now available in materials other than glass, Polycarbonate lenses off protection against impact from road debris. polychromatic lenses darken automatically in reaction to varying light levels, and new 'smart sunglasses' with high-tech LCD lenses allow the wear to dial-in their desired level of darkness. Sunglasses are even available with digital audio players built in. Any guesses what's next?
Written, re-written and configured for content and SEO purposes by the Happy Helmet Biker Friendly team.
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