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Jan 1, 1000
1st Reading Aid
A Reading Stone was a glass sphere used to magnify words on a piece of paper. Commonly used by old monks to read small handwriting. Placed on paper over words and the convex lens would magnify text. -
Jan 1, 1268
Unknown Beginning Of Glasses.
The exact date glasses were created is unknown but it is speculated to be in the year 1268. The creator didn't share his plans with the world and people praise him for giving them out of goodwill. They were an adaption to an earlier technique of magnification using special rocks, but the creator connected the two lenses forming the glasses. These were known as Rivet Glasses because the lenses were connected with a rivet. -
1700s Glasses
Various styles of glasses started to be created in the 1700s. Some of the more notable one were Bifocals, as created by Benjamin Franklin, and Scissor Spectacles. Bifocals have two different separate lenses with a different magnification for both, allowing people to see two different distances through the use of one pair of glasses. -
1800s Glasses
The Lorgnette made its first appearance in the 1700s. People disliked wearing glasses all the time as it looked "old" so the Lorgnette was a pair of glasses on a stick that you held to your face. They were an adaption to earlier Scissor Spectacles in that they folded into the stick for easy transportation. They were very popular and people would have fancy artworks on their Lorgnettes. -
Early 1900s Glasses
In the 1920s a new style of cheap and affordable glasses became available. The were called Pince-nez, which is French for "Pinched Nose". The glasses did not rest over the ears or on the temple, but instead sat in the bridge of the nose in a tight fit. They often fell off the nose and broke and were uncomfortable to most. President Teddy Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge wore these regularly. -
Mid 1900s Glasses
Sunglasses didn't become popular until the 1930s, but a lens that could absorb ultraviolet and infrared light in 1913 by Sir William Crookes of England. The design of sunglasses was improved for military use by pilots during WWII. Afterwards, sunglasses were manufactured to be aesthetically pleasing as well as practical. Celebrities started wearing these glasses and it was thought to hide their identity. -
Late 1900s Glasses
Towards the end of the 20th century, glasses started to be regarded as a necessity to most and an everyday object. But people were expected to get new glasses as to avoid looking old and out of style/fashion. Higher quality lenses and frames were made available due to technological advancements. These new materials help make glasses safer to wear because they were lighter and more fitting.Source -
Questions
· When was the product invented?
Supposedly invented in 1268
· Who invented the product?
Unknown
· What materials were originally used to make the product?
Frames of wood and glass lenses
· How the product was originally made?
Carving wood and fitting glass lenses into grooves
· What improvements have been made to the product over the
years?
Better lenses and glass making
· Why were these improvements made?
Improve usage and function
· Who uses the product?
Almost anyone with a vision impairment -
Sources
http://www.antiquespectacles.com/rivet_spectacles/rivets.htm
http://www.antiquespectacles.com/topics/franklin/franklin.htm
http://www.college-optometrists.org/en/college/museyeum/online_exhibitions/spectacles/scissor.cfm
http://www.college-optometrists.org/en/college/museyeum/online_exhibitions/spectacles/lorgnettes.cfm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pince-nez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglasses
http://www.museumofvision.org/exhibitions/?key=44&subkey=4&relkey=35
