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History of Sunglasses

The development of the sunglasses began with the Chinese people during the 12th century. In an effort to conceal the expressions on their faces while examining witnesses, Chinese judges of the Chinese Trial Courts during this time used smoke-colored quartz in flat panes. Although not used for the purpose of protecting the eyes from sunlight, these quartz lenses were also noted to be able to decrease glare coming from the sun.

The quartz lenses, however, were not able to correct problems in vision. Lenses that were able to correct vision were brought into China by Italy during the 1400s. The smoke-tinting technology was also used to change the color of the lenses. These lenses were also used for the same purpose as the smoky quartz.

The Romans have also been credited as one of the pioneers of sunglasses. According to research, Nero, the Roman Emperor, used to watch fights between gladiators through gems, such as emeralds. These gems, however, were used more as mirrors than as sunglasses.

During the 1700s, an English man named James Ayscough then started making experiments with tinted lenses. He believed that these tinted lenses would be able to correct certain impairments in an individual’s vision.

The actual invention of the sunglasses, however, occurred in the year 1929. American Sam Foster, who founded the Foster Grant Company, began selling his Foster Grant sunglasses on the beaches of the state of New Jersey. Designed to protect the eyes from the harsh sun, these sunglasses instantly became a hit on the Boardwalk found in Atlantic City.

The 1900s saw a massive increase in the popularity of the sunglasses. Actors in silent movies began using sunglasses. This was mainly done to protect their eyes from strong lights in the studio while filming. Some stars also used it to prevent fans from recognizing them when they go outside.

In 1936, sunglasses became polarized. Edwin H. Land founded the Polaroid Corporation, and sunglass companies began using his Polaroid filter technology in order to polarize sunglass lenses.

Around this time, the popularity of sunglasses among the public further increased. With the slowly-growing threat of World War II, the army needed spectacles to protect their air force pilots from the sun’s glare at high altitudes. For this purpose, Ray Ban created aviator sunglasses for the army using polarized lenses. These aviator sunglasses eventually became available to the public in the year 1937.

In the 1960s, intense advertising campaigns by the Foster Grant company involving famous movie stars and fashion designers further boosted the popularity of sunglasses. Since the 1960s, sunglasses have undergone numerous improvements. Most sunglasses nowadays offer protection from the sun’s UV rays. Different sunglasses have also been created for different sports and activities. Prescription glasses can now also be converted to sunglasses. One of the latest advancements in sunglasses is the creation of Thump. Developed by Oakley, Thump sunglasses have an audio player built in to it.

Sunglasses have surely come a long way from their humble beginnings in China. Watch out for more styles and improvements in the years to come!