Jun

20

The History Of Sunglasses

Filed Under Sunglasses History, Sunglasses Trivia 

The exact origin of sunglasses is unclear, as precise records related to inventions were uncommon in earlier times. Several theories about their beginnings exist, and are as follows:

Chinese Magistrates. Some claim the origin of sunglasses was in China, where magistrates would wear smoky quartz lenses to hide the expressions in their eyes and maintain the appearance of neutrality. Though no documentation exists to verify this story, it is not unlikely as the Chinese were the inventors of many items still commonly in use. The quartz was said to be refined and made clear through polishing, it was then attached through fire (welding) to a holding rod. The quartz could be held at short intervals under a thick brush fire to gather a thin layer of smoke, thus tinting the lens. The magistrate could hold the smoky quartz pieces up to his eyes with the rod and thus hide his expressions during trials.

Spectator Sports. The Roman Emperor Nero was said to have watched gladiator fights with emeralds, though scientifically this could not have given poor Nero much assistance as the Emerald would not have worked as a vision tool, but more as a series of mirrors. Still, it could have been used for Nero to watch several aspects of the battle simultaneously, essentially giving him the ability to look two places at once (though green-tinted and at a distance).

Artic Survival. Another suggestion for the origin of sunglasses comes from the Natives of Northern Canada and Alaska. Trackers would wear bark fragments over their eyes, tied in place with a band around their forehead and secured with sap below the eye on the cheek-bones. The thin strips of tree bark would essential block some of the light, decreasing the amount entering and damaging the eye. They used these makeshift shades to block the blinding rays of light that were reflected off the snow, even from directly underfoot.

Basic artic survival tips in outdoor magazines and survival guides claim that protecting yourself from the sun is of the utmost importance. Many artic hikers and adventurers suffer serious eye damage from the sun’s rays reflected off snow. The cold distracts the mind from the sun, which is associated with heat, and many forget to shield themselves. Light reflected into the eyes can be severely damaging, and will not only cause severe vision blurring, but could eventually lead to blindness. It is also physically and mentally exhausting to absorb too much sun through the eyes, causing one to be drowsy and helpless—feelings not wholly helpful in a survival situation. Modern artic sunglasses come with thick leather blinders on the sides to further decrease the amount of reflected light absorbed by the eye.

Medical Roots. Darkened lenses were prescribed in Europe for patients suffering from various diseases including syphilis, though they were of little actual medical assistance. Rather than tying a bandage around the eyes of a blind man or woman, European doctors began to offer black metal sunglasses (though no light came through at all) to the blind to make others aware of their condition without alienating them or singling them out by having them walk around with an uncomfortable and attention-grabbing head bandage.

Modern America. Early silent film actors would often wear tinted or darkened sunglasses on camera to block the blinding arc lights aimed at them. It developed into a style related to the glamour of Hollywood which has persisted even today.

Innovations. In 1936 Edwin H began experimenting with polarization and made the first polarized lenses. Basically, transparent materials reflect light that is partly or fully polarized when reflected indirectly, polarized lenses allow the material’s reflective light to dissipate on contact. Since the polarization of sunglasses many small additions have been made, including the addition of titanium frames, foldable frames, frames with cameras (as in True Lies) and even mirror frames that employ similar technology to two-way glass.

There you have it folks, a rough and tumble history of sunglasses from their purported smoky origins to the invention of sunglasses that bend in half without breaking and contain small cameras and viewing screens. 

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