The Fascinating History Of Sunglasses

Do you know the fascinating history of sunglasses?  It may shock you to find out that sunglasses were not always used to protect people’s eyes from the harmful rays of the sun.  Sunglasses actually date back to ancient China and Rome.  It is believed that the Roman emperor Nero watched gladiator fights with polished stones placed on his eyes.  In China sunglasses date back to the twelfth century or even earlier.    They were initially made from flat pieces of smoky quartz.  Judges also wore glasses to hide their facial expressions from witnesses when they were being questioned. These types of glasses did not protect the eyes from the harmful rays of sun or correct vision, but they did help reduce the glare from the sun.

Sunglasses did not undergo anymore changes until the eighteenth century, due to the work of James Ayscough.  He experimented with tinted lenses in glasses.  James Ayscough believed that glasses tinted with a green or blue lenses could correct vision problems, he was not concerned with protecting eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.  The history of sunglasses changed even more when Sam Foster introduced them in America in 1929.  Foster’s sunglasses were designed to protect people’s eyes from the sun.  Foster sold his sunglasses on the boardwalk in Atlantic City and they were also sold at Woolworth’s.

The history of sunglasses once again changed in 1936 when Edwin Land used his polarized filter on sunglasses.  Around this time sunglasses increased in popularity when movie stars and celebrities begin wearing them, making them fashionable and chic.  They were no longer just used to protect your eyes from the sun; they were also a way to look cool and mysterious.  At this point sunglasses had become a cultural phenomenon, they were no longer just worn when it was sunny, and they were even worn indoors.

Today the history of sunglasses continues to advance.  Today UV protection is an industry requirement and there are sunglasses available for just about every sport and activity.  There are many tints and styles available for sunglasses.  Even many blind people wear sunglasses and most celebrities will not be caught without their sunglasses on!  So as you see the fascinating history of sunglasses has come a very long way from the early Rome and China days!