The History of Sunglasses #CaraMarsi #RB4U

The History of Sunglasses

Sunglasses are cool. Think Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

 I love to wear sunglasses, not only because they’re cool, but because my eyes are sensitive to sunlight. Usually, blue eyes are more sensitive to light, but my brown eyes are, so this gives me an excuse to wear sunglasses whenever there’s even a hint of sunshine. Also, sunglasses hide a multitude of sins, like dark circles, bags, bloodshot eyes, droopy eyes.

I thought sunglasses were a modern invention and decided to do a little research. Turns out, sunglasses have been around since earliest times. The ancient Inuit people wore “glasses” made from walrus ivory. These had narrow slits to block the harmful rays of the sun. Here’s a pair below:

The Emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator games wearing glasses with polished emeralds for lenses. Sunglasses made of flat lenses of smoky quartz to protect from glare were used in China in the 12th century or maybe sooner. Judges in ancient Chinese courts wore shaded glasses to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses. Clever people, those Chinese.

None of these ancient glasses were used as corrective lenses. In 1430, vision-correcting tinted glasses were introduced into China from Italy. Around 1752, James Ayscough began experimenting with blue- or green-tinted lenses, believing they could correct some forms of vision impairment. Harmful UV rays weren’t a concern.

Glasses tinted with yellow-amber and brown were prescribed for syphilis sufferers in the 19th and early 20th centuries because those with syphilis were sensitive to light. In the U.S, in the 20th century, the military was at the forefront of sunglass technology.

Movie stars helped spread the popularity of sunglasses in the early 20th century. Some said they wore the glasses to avoid recognition. Another explanation is that they had red eyes from the powerful arc lamps that were used when filming.

Sam Foster introduced inexpensive, mass-produced sunglasses in 1929. He sold them under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth’s on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.  By the 1930’s sunglasses were all the rage.

In the 1930’s the Army Corp of Engineers commissioned Bausch and Lomb to produce lenses that would protect pilots from high-altitude glare. In 1936, Edward Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, patented polarized lenses. Ray-Ban produced aviator-style glasses using polarized lenses.

In the 1960’s a clever advertising campaign by Foster Grant made sunglasses chic. We’ve also come to realize that sunglasses do more than protect from glare and make a person seem a little mysterious and alluring. The best sunglasses are those that protect against the sun’s harmful rays.

Now you have it—the history of sunglasses.

When I sold my first book, I treated myself to a pair of high-quality Revo brand glasses. Since then, I’ve bought two more pairs of designer glasses from the discount sites Gilt Group and Rue La La. I’ve tried to score a pair of Chanel from those sites, but that’s proved elusive. The Chanel glasses are sold out within minutes of going on sale. Because I now need “corrective” lenses, I have a pair of bifocal sunglasses that I wear most of the time. Since my designer glasses aren’t prescription, I wear them when I’m wearing contacts; otherwise, I might look nice, but I won’t be able to see a darn thing.

What about you? Do you love sunglasses? Do you wear them?

Sources: Wikipedia, Ideafinder.com, www.glasseshistory.com

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