History of Sunglasses

The history of sunglasses can be found all the way through human civilization dating back to ancient Rome 60 AD, where it was said that the Emperor Nero used to watch the gladiator fighting whilst holding up a polished green emerald to his eyes in order to block the glare from the sun. The emerald would act as a mirror reflecting the images of the objects. The very first recorded visual evidence of the used of sunglasses can be found from a painting by Tommaso da Modena in Italy, 1352, showing a person wearing sunglasses.

Around 1420 smoke tinting was the first means of darkening eyeglasses. This technology was developed in China. These lenses were not vision-corrected, nor were they initially intended to reduce solar glare. For centuries, Chinese judges had routinely worn smoke-coloured quartz lenses to conceal their eye expressions in court. As the judge’s evaluation of evidence was kept a secret until the end of the trail.

Smoke-tinted lenses came to serve also as sunglasses, but that was never their primary function. Around 1430, vision-correcting eyeglasses were introduced into China from Italy. The frames were carved out of either ivory or tortoiseshell, and some were quite ornate. In 1752 an English man James Ayscough designed the first par of prescription glasses which were used to help the elderly with vision disabilities. He developed a technology where he tinted the lenses blue and green. James was founder of the company called Spectacle Makers Company in England. He started manufacturing prescription glasses for the public, whose motto was “A Blessing to the Aged”.

Yellow, Amber and brown-tinted spectacles was a commonly-prescribed item for people the 19th and early 20th centuries with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. This was because of the sensitivity to light which was one of the symptoms of the disease.

In 1929, Sam Foster, the founder of the Foster Grant company sold the first pair of Foster Grant sunglasses on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ. By 1930, sunglasses were all the rage.

In the 1930s, the Army Air Corps commissioned the optical firm of Bausch & Lomb to produce a highly effective spectacle that would protect pilots from the dangers of high-altitude glare. Company physicists and opticians perfected a special dark-green tint that absorbed light in the yellow band of the spectrum.

In 1936, Edwin H Land patented the Polaroid filter for making polarized sunglasses. This type of tint reduces glare reflected from surfaces, such as water. Later in that same year, Rayban took the design of pilots sunglasses further by producing the aviator-style sunglasses that we know today, using this recently invented polarized lens technology. The edge of the frame characteristically drooped away at the edges by the cheeks in a sort of tear drop shape, to give a full all-round protection to the pilot’s eyes, who regularly had to glance down towards the aircraft's instrument panel. The polarized lens reduced the glare from light reflected off the instrument panel. Pilots were given these sunglasses free of charge, but in 1937 the general publics were allowed to purchase this aviator-style model that banned the sun's rays as Rayban sunglasses.

What helped make sunglasses chic was a clever 1960s' style advertising campaign by Foster Grant. Well-known fashion designers, as well as Hollywood stars, escalated the sunglass trend in the 70s with their brand-name lines. He was known for his Cat eye glasses which soon became the most common in women’s sunglasses. The lenses are wider in the middle than on both sides and had a greater curve on the bottom than the top, often encrusted with rhinestones or other jewels in the pointed corners.

As time went by and people became aware of the effects of the sun’s rays, which is why technological advances in sunglasses such as UV protection come about. Sunglasses nowadays come in all kinds of different forms and styles, having evolved throughout its history. Coloured tints showing up only under the sun are now being featured for prescription eyeglasses, giving them dual use. This industry is growing so much that what the future holds in store for sunglasses can’t be foreseen.

In today’s sunglasses we see more crystal and translucent frame colours, with satin finishes and subtle print textures. Vintage styled sunglasses are definitely still gaining strength and we will still see a strong influence from the Wayfarer and aviator shape. Oversized frames are still going strong but the trend for medium sized frames is the growing trend. So there will frames of all sizes showing up with characteristics from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Gradient lenses and tints consistent with frame colour. The newest sunglasses trends are based on the feedback that comes from popular users and the designer’s imagination. Often, designers take a cue from celebrities who wear sunglasses as an expression of their personal style.

You can really make a statement with your fashion sunglasses, transforming your image or creating a new look. Designer sunglasses have certainly come a long way in just a few years, and now not only protect our eyes from the harmful sun's rays, but are also an important fashion accessory that all started nearly 2,000 years ago with the Roman Emperor Nero.