Sunglasses, sunglasses, sunglasses. What comes up into your mind when you think of sunglasses?
Probably, it’s a type of eyeglass just with dark lenses or, an eyewear protection from the sun’s
ultraviolet rays. Aside from these, it’s also an accessory to match up your outfit. Did you know that
about 500 (five hundred) million people in the world actually spend their money to buy sunglasses? But,
did they—did you ever wonder on who, what, when, why, and how the sunglasses is created? Perhaps,
60 (sixty) percent (that’s 300 million by the way) of the population of the sunglasses’ consumer doesn’t
know the origin of it. Even you may not know the history of sunglasses.
Around 800 years ago, in China, sunglasses were made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky
quartz. They only protect the eyes from the glare but not from the harmful UV rays. The real use of
sunglasses, during this time, was to hide the facial expression of the judges in Chinese courts when they
are interrogating witnesses. 500 years later, James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in
spectacles. James was dedicated to the idea that blue-or green-tinted glass could possibly correct
specific vision impairments. Shielding the eyes from the sun’s rays was not a worry at this time. Yellowamber and brown tinted glasses were the frequently advised item for people with syphilis in the 19th
and early 20th century since one of the symptoms of the disease was sensitivity to light. During the early
1900s, the use of sunglasses becomes more widespread. Sam Foster introduced sunglasses to America
in 1929 that started the inexpensive mass production of sunglasses. In 1936, Polarized sunglasses
became first available when Edwin Land began using his patented Polaroid filter when making
sunglasses. During the World War II, sunglasses played a significant role, specifically the anti-glare
aviator style sunglasses. Right now, sunglasses with UV protection has almost become an industry
standard, and there are a lot of tints available for sunglasses, and sunglasses styles are changing every
year.
Gillis, K. (2017, November 20). 9 Fun Facts about Sunglasses. Retrieved from
https://www.americansunglass.com/blogs/news/9-fun-facts-about-sunglasses
Origins and History of Sunglasses. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.glasseshistory.com/glasseshistory/history-of-sunglasses/