What is a brief history of sunglasses? The first sunglasses | Ask Me
What is a brief history of sunglasses?
The first sunglasses were invented sometime in 12th century China. They were a crude slab of smoked quartz that was made to block out the light from the sun. The frames were roughly shaped frame to hold them against the user's face.
Around 1430 vision-correcting eyeglasses were darkened and they were introduced into Italy via the Chinese.
In the 18th century, an English optician James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles but not to protect from the sun but to improve vision for those with poor or failing eye sight. He believed that by changing the color of the lenses to a blue/green tint, he could correct specific vision impairments.
The modern-type sunglasses appeared in the 20th century. In 1929, a US businessman Sam Foster, put sunglasses into mass production in America.
Since 1970s well-known fashion designers and movie stars escalated the sunglass craze with their brand-name lines.
