-
100
First Glasses: Roman Empire
Basically, the first glasses appeared in the Roman Empire at a sporting event between the years of 54-68 AD. Pretty cool huh? Apparently, the Roman empire Nero used a simple gem (which I guess magnified the view) to watch the sport.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Jan 1, 1000
Reading Stones
So, between the years 1000-1250 reading stones, which were simple magnifiers came about. An English Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon (1220 -1292) confirmed the principle of convex lens (this principle had been described by early Greeks, but never applied until then), which basically bend light at an angle and have a focal point that makes the image larger. Bacon had discovered that these lens could be used for people with bad vision (like me) and old people vision.
http://www.antiquespectacles.com/ -
Jan 1, 1286
Actual Reading Glasses
After a couple of years, in Italy some unspecified lay person happened to make actual glasses composed of two convex lens instead of one convex lens. They were connected by a rivet to hold them up. One of the first ways to refer to eyeglasses was "Occhiale" by an Italian priest. The glasses then spread all over Europe because of their usefulness.
http://www.antiquespectacles.com/history/ages/through_the_ages.htm -
Jan 1, 1300
Riveted Glasses
In the Mid 1300s, the first glasses with a rivet, or a accustomed glasses made to fit the nose bridge, were invented.The shape of the rivet was way different from the one we use today; it used to be V-shaped to balance on the nose, which was probably not most comfortable thing in the world, but it was a start for early glasses.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Jan 1, 1400
First Prescription Glasses
Sometime around the 1400s-1700s the first prescription glasses were made for people with distance seeing problems. The only thing is that there is no specific date on how the first ones came to our world.
http://www.ehow.com/about_4672228_prescription-eyeglasses.html -
Jan 1, 1452
Glasses: FOR SALE!!
So, after they made it possible to have music sheets and pamphlets for Churches so people could read it, street vendors started selling glasses at incredibly cheap prices for the poor and made quite a lot of money out of them. (There are a lot of blind people in this planet.)
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
First glasses with Handles
Sometime around the 1600's, a London optician created the first eyeglasses with handles that you can hang onto your face. At first, you had to hold your glasses up to your face, but this guy made it possible for us to actually wear them on our face and not have to hold on to them by hand all day.
http://www.ehow.com/about_4672228_prescription-eyeglasses.html -
Better Nose Bridge Balance, Please!
In the Early 1600s, the V-shaped nose bridge rivet was changed to be more rigid and kind of square-ish. They became popular tools and fashion accesories to go see plays at the moment, like Romeo and Juliet.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Bifocal Glasses
Mid to late 1700s was the time where the first bifocal glasses were introduced by Ben Franklin. The nose bridge is fixed again and resembles the bridge that we have today. Popularized by famous historical figures, like George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Cure for Astigmatism
In the early 1800s, glasses with prescription made to correct astigmatism were introduced to the public. They became quite popular among those people who wanted to take a close look at the famous baseball games of the era.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
First 3D Glasses
Around this date Willhelm Rollmann invented the first 3D glasses due to the invention of anaglyph images. The glasses at first were red and green as opposed to the red and cyan colored that we have today.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5006546_history-d-glasses.html -
Contact Lenses' First Shot
First contact lenses idea is described by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1508, but it wasn't until 1887 that the first glass based contact lenses were made and the covered the entire eye. BUT THEY WERE MADE FROM GLASS, SO THAT MUST HAVE HURT IF IT EVER BROKE!
http://www.contactlenses.org/timeline.htm -
No ophthalmic glass :(
The start of Worl War I = no funding for opthalmic glass, meaning no ophthalmic glass for microscopes and for glasses because most of the funding went to the war. Then the company Bausch and Lomb was born to provide for that and many people wanted glasses due to the invention of the television and cinema.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Sunglasses!
So, the first sunglasses come out to the public in 1929 by Sam Foster, founder of the Foster Grant company. The sunglasses have made quite an impact in out society, as many celebrities are known to sport them on the streets. They are a great fashion statement, not to mention how they help protect your eyes from the sun.
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/sunglasses.htm -
First Plastic Contact Lenses: Better than Glasses?
Using the same concept as ordinary glasses, the first plastic contact lenses come into the scene and were very popular among those who didn't like the idea of wearing glasses. Over time, they were also improved and now only cover the cornea, can be disposable, etc. But still, the ordinary glasses idea still remained because it also was changing for the better and promoted among celebrities and changing styles. So, they're about the same :)
http://www.contactlenses.org/timeline.htm -
Stylish Glasses :D
From 1940-1950s Acrylic lenses were a pathway for the new plastic ones we have today. Elvis Presley made the cat eye glasses very popuar among women. The thick nerdy glasses that a lot of emos and hipster groups sport today were very popular among men at that time.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
LCD Shutter Glasses
In the mid 1970s, the first LCD glasses (it's a type of 3D glasses) came up by Stephen McAllister. These were mainly used for computer based purposes that allows people to see 3D images on their computer.
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4704194_how-lcd-shutter-glasses-work.html -
Coke Bottle glasses
The Coca Cola bottle glasses were in style back then. People wanted the frames to be HUGE, the Bigger the Better. The frames were also now plastic and not made out of metal, probably because you could put really nice designs on plastic easier than on metal and it's cheaper. (My mom had these and she said they were heavy!)
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Goodbye Coke Bottle Glasses... Hello Foster Grants
People started to get tired of the Coke bottle glasses because they were getting kind of boring and unstylish because as people change so does everything that comes with them. Lucky for them, in the late 80s, the Optima company polycarbonate lens that were distortion free, aka Foster Grants and Space Shuttles. Nowadays many teens wear them as vintage glasses or part of the Hispter style.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Glasses Go Green!
The going green movement led to glasses being made out of recycled materials and part of many glasses being eco-sensitive. Approved by Environmental activists and Hipsters.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/ -
Adaptive glasses!
Sometime around 2005-present, a British professor Joshua Silver designed "adaptive glasses" that can be adjusted without neccesarily changing the frame to meet the person's needs with the lenses. Apparently, he puts drops of some fluid to loosen them up a bit in order to adjust them. In my opinion they are kind of like the Coke bottle glasses and kind of ugly, but it's a start to better glasses.
http://www.mezzmer.com/blog/the-evolution-of-glasses-eyeglasses-through-the-ages/
