History and Uses of Sunglasses

History

Sunglasses are used to aid your vision. Generally, it features darkened or colored lenses to protect the eyes from strong lights. It was said that Nero, a Roman Emperor watched fights of gladiators via polished gems, most likely emeralds.

The first usage of sunglasses was recorded during the 12th century in China. The lenses were made of smoky quarts flattened into panes. This does not provide corrective powers but the eyes are protected from glare. According to contemporary documents, the judges in Chinese Trial Courts used sunglasses to hide their facial expression while probing witnesses. This is similar on the Blind Justice representation in Western arts.

During the 18th century, James Ayscough started to experiment with colored lenses in eyeglasses. These are not considered as sunglasses because Ayscough believed that green or blue tinted glass corrects certain vision impairments. He was not concerned about the UV protection.

At the turn of the 1900s, wearing sunglasses became more popular and widespread in silent movies. The stars wear sunglasses not only to protect their eyes from the studio’s harsh bright lighting but to avoid from being recognized.

In 1929, Sam Foster introduced mass-produced inexpensive sunglasses to America. He found ready markets on New Jersey and Atlantic City’s beaches, selling his merchandise in the name of Foster Grant.

In 1936, sunglasses were polarized by Edwin H. Land using an original Polaroid filter. Oakley in 2004 created Thump. These sunglasses are equipped with a digital audio player that is built-in. Many smaller companies have copied this design.

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