History of Glasses

According to L. Sprague De Camp and Josepha Sherman, Seneca, a Roman playwright, (4 B.C. - A.D. 65) used a glass globe filled with water to magnify words so that he could read. By 1000 A.D., Italian glass blowers produced reading stones made from polished glass that were laid atop the pages of a book to magnify the print. Eyeglasses emerged sometime in the 1200s.

History

• It is believed that monks produced the first known eyeglasses between 1285 and 1289 A.D. They were set in leather, metal or bone and formed in a V to rest on the bridge of the nose. These were designed only for those who were farsighted and needed glasses to read. In the 1400s, spectacles with concave lenses became available for those who needed glasses for distance. These were generally used for hunting and other outside sports.

Types

• It was not until the 1600s that Spanish craftsmen created the first crude temples for glasses. They consisted of string that was looped around the ears to hold the spectacles in place. These were later adapted by the Chinese by hanging weights to the string to hold them over the ears. In 1730, Edward Scarlett, a London optician, introduced rigid temples. These rested on top of the ears, but were not bent to fit around the ear.

Time Frame

• In 1784, the bifocal was invented by Benjamin Franklin. He reportedly got tired of switching glasses and had them cut in half and pieced together to form a bifocal lens. In 1825, Sir George Airy developed the first eyeglasses to correct astigmatism. In 1826, John Hawkins invented the trifocal lens. In 1958, Essilor International created the progressive multifocal lens.

Considerations

• In colonial times, only wealthy gentlemen could afford eyeglasses, which they imported from England. The price ranged as high as $200 a pair in the early 1700s, clearly out of range for the average person to purchase.

Identification

• In the nineteenth century, choosing the proper lenses was up to the consumer. The process generally involved trying on glasses stored in boxes or crates until he found a pair that he could see well with. The price ranged from $5 to $150. Women and girls were encouraged to wear glasses at home, but not in public because they were considered to be a disfigurement. By 1914, large round tortoise shell frames became very fashionable. Today, glasses come in every imaginable color, shape and style. What was once considered a disfigurement is now high fashion.