THE
Visionaries
Sunglasses
Sunglasses
Background
In the past, Inuit peoples wore flattened walrus ivory glasses to block harmful reflected rays of the su and the Roman emperor Nero watched gladiator fights through polished gems.
In China, sunglasses were used in the 12th century or possibly earlier. These sunglasses were made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz. They offered no corrective powers nor did they protect the eyes from harmful UV rays but did shield the eyes from glare. Ancient documents describe the use of such crystal sunglasses by judges in ancient Chinese courts to hide their facial expression when they interrogated witnesses.
James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles around 1752, using blue-or green-tinted glass could potentially correct specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun's rays was not a concern at this time.
He believed white lenses created an ‘offensive glaring light, very painful and prejudicial to the Eyes.’ This resulted in a distorted lens full of ‘Specks and Veins’ which would only further impair a person’s already imperfect vision.
Inexpensive mass-production of sunglasses started in 1929 when Sam Foster introduced them to America. Foster sold his sunglasses on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk. These sunglasses were made to protect people's eyes from the sun's rays.
Polarized sunglasses first became available in 1936, when Edwin H. Land began using his patented Polaroid filter when making sunglasses.
Today, sunglasses with UV protection has almost became an industry standard, with many tints available, and sunglasses styles changing every year. In 2004, built-in digital audio player for sunglasses was developed by Oakley.
Applications
Application to medical industry
Glasses tinted with yellow-amber and brown were a commonly-prescribed item for people with syphilis in the 19th and early 20th century because one of the symptoms of the disease was sensitivity to light.
Application to security/ defence
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.
Sunglasses even played a significant role during the World War II, when Ray Ban created anti-glare aviator style sunglasses using polarization.
Application to media
Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses became popular with the celebrities and the community in 1937 when they started to be sold to the public. This led to a cultural phenomenon and many people began to wear it not just for protection against the sunshine glare but as a fashion statement. This is seen by the many recognisable celebrities wearing sunglasses regardless of being outdoors or indoors.
