The Dark History of Sunglasses

Sunglasses have a dark history, but a brilliant future. The history of sunglasses could be traced back to Roman Emperor Nero who watched the gladiator competitions through polished light bright green gems held up to his eyes.

The invention of sunglasses was approximately 1268 and 1289. A visual historical recording of early sunglasses is a painting performed by Tommaso da Modena in 1352. The person inside the painting was wearing sunglasses. It was the very first painting of a subject in sunglasses and many more had been to follow as it became a fashionable symbol of distinction or honor.

Round the twelfth century and before 1430, sunglasses were worn by Judges in the Courts of China. The smoky quartz, flat-glassed panes were not employed as protection from the sun’s rays. They had been utilized to conceal any expression to them to maintain from giving away the end result of their decisions. Prescription sunglasses had been coded in Italy in 1430 and had been later utilized by the Chinese Judges.

By the 1600′s individuals started to understand the advantages of prescription glasses as enhancing the elderly to see much better and also the motto “A Blessing to the Aged” came to exist in 1629. It was the motto of the English eyeglasses manufacturer, Spectacle Makers Company.

In the mid 18th Century, James Ayscough developed blue and green corrective lenses which began using sunglasses for correcting optical impairments.
The development of glasses and sunglasses continued over time. Challenges in keeping eyeglasses about the face or propped on the nose resulted in 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 round the ears. As opposed to loops, the Chinese added ceramic weights to the ends of the ribbons. Solid sidepieces were finally invented by Edward Scarlett in 1730. Benjamen Franklin’s invention of bifocal lenses followed in 1780.

Through the 20th Century, sunglasses were utilized to safeguard the eyes from the sun. In 1929 Sam Foster began selling his protective sunglasses at Woolworth stores about the boardwalk at the beaches in Atlantic City and Nj. His Foster Grants were the very first mass-produced sunglasses and they began the popularity 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 created sunglasses that had a green tint that absorbed light with the yellow spectrum.

Edward H. Land had invented the Polaroid filter and by 1936 he was utilizing it in the making of sunglasses and soon, sunglasses became “cool.” Movies stars began wearing sunglasses like a statement and to hide behind. Aviator glasses shot to popularity with the movie stars along with the public in 1937 after Ray Ban developed the anti-glare sunglasses making use of polarization. The longer lens was created to give much more protection to pilots’ eyes in the light reflecting off their control panels.

By the 1970′s Hollywood stars and fashion designers made a significant 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 today’s technology and improvements, sunglasses still evolve. We have gone from holding green gems up to our eyes to watch Gladiator sports to Oakley’s 2004 sunglasses with digital mp3′s built in. What’s next?

Copyright by Lucy who likes shopping online, going fishing, often searches juicy couture wallet and cheap juicy tracksuits on the Internet.