The evolution of eyewear : from monocles to smart glasses.

History of eyewear.

Nowadays, wearing glasses is common. Glasses, regardless of prescription or eye shape, are a tool that allows most people to see. But it wasn’t always this way.

The inventor of the first wearable glasses is unknown. The Romans were the first to discover how to use glass to improve their ability to see small text, developing small magnifying glasses with spheres.

The first wearable glasses were discovered in Italy during the 13th century. Primitive glass-blown lenses were set into wooden or leather frames (or, on rare occasions, animal horn frames) and situated on the nose or held in front of the face. Originally used by monks, these became more popular during the Renaissance as technology improved.

The Inuit used “sun goggles” to shield their eyes from the blinding bright sun of light reflected off the snow, making them the first known users of glasses to protect their eyes from the sun. These were made of carved driftwood, bone, walrus ivory, or caribou antler and were worn across the eyes, with thin slits allowing the user to see through. To absorb light and reduce glare, the goggles were cut to fit snugly around the face, and soot or gunpowder was frequently rubbed on the outside. These goggles have been used for approximately 2,000 years, and the narrow slits also assisted in focusing eyesight.

From monocles to spectacles.

The monocle, like glasses, is one of the world’s strangest yet most useful inventions. Most people had forgotten what a monocle was until it became a popular prop. A monocle, which is small enough to fit in the top pocket, allows its wearer to correct any visual deformities in one eye. Monocles are more than just a single corrective prescription lens and come in a variety of styles.

In the late 1830s, monocles first appeared in the United Kingdom. During this time, the monocle became popular, particularly among the middle and upper classes. While the 1830s were a relatively recent epoch, the monocle’s origins can be traced back to the early 1700s.

Before becoming an aesthetic accessory, eyeglasses were only functional. Eyeglasses have a long history dating back to Roman times, when the Romans observed and enlarged objects using glass spheres filled with water. The spread of prescription lenses was then aided in the 13th century by amanuensis friars who used them to transcribe books.

Later, in the 1400s, the first metal frames appeared, and eyeglasses became widely available with the invention of the printing press and publishing production.

Glasses were popular from the 1930s to the 1950s.

From the pioneering eyewear of the 1960s to the modern frames of the 1990s

The new millennium’s eyewear, the 2000s

The evolution of sunglasses.

By the 18th century, the modern form of eyeglasses had been invented, with lenses held together by wire and the frame extending over the ear to keep them in place. A man named James Ayscough believed that changing the colour of the actual lens could help even more with specific vision impairments. He experimented with blue and green-tinted prescription lenses to improve his poor vision; little did he realise that his concept would become one of today’s must-have fashion accessories.

The first time lenses were used to protect a wearer’s eyesight from light was in the early twentieth century, when syphilis patients were prescribed yellow and brown tinted glasses. Wearing darkened spectacles would have relieved discomfort because syphilis causes light sensitivity in the eyes. However, sunglasses quickly became associated with celebrity rather than poor health.

Around the 1920s, it became common for famous movie stars to be seen out in public wearing sunglasses. Shielding their eyes not only kept their identity hidden when they didn’t want to be noticed, but it also hid the fact that red eyes were common among actors due to the powerfully bright klieg lamps used in studios.

Small glasses and their features.

The lenses you need will be determined by your eyeglass prescription. Before you go shopping for new glasses, make an appointment with your eye doctor. They will determine what type of vision correction you need.

1. Single Vision

The most affordable and widely used type of eyeglass lens is single vision. They have the largest field of vision because they only correct vision at one specific distance (either far or near). This sets them apart from the multifocal lenses discussed below.

Your doctor will likely prescribe single vision lenses if you have one of the following:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Astigmatism

2. Bifocals

Multifocal lenses have two distinct “powers” within them. The lens’s various sections correct both distance and near vision.

Bifocal lenses are given to people who have multiple vision problems.

3. Trifocals

Trifocal lenses look similar to bifocals. They are, however, capable of correcting intermediate vision. For example, the intermediate portion could be used to view a computer screen.

The distinct line between each field of vision is the main disadvantage of bifocals and trifocals. As a result, the vision produced by the various sections of the lens varies greatly. Most people learn to adjust to it and have no issues. This disadvantage, however, has led to the development of more advanced prescription lenses, such as progressives.

4. Progressive lenses

This is a subset of multifocal lenses. They are appropriate for anyone who needs bifocals or trifocals. Progressive lenses provide the same correction for near, intermediate, and distance vision. They do this without using lines to separate each section.

Because the transition between fields of vision is smoother with these multifocal lenses, many people also prefer them.