The history of eyeglasses

What do we know about eyeglasses?

Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (formal) or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or radiation. Sunglasses allow better vision in bright daylight, and may protect one's eyes against damage from high levels of ultraviolet light. Specialized glasses may be used for viewing specific visual information (such as stereoscopy). Sometimes glasses are worn simply for aesthetic or fashion purposes.

History

Precursors

The earliest written record of magnification dates back to the 1st century AD, when Seneca the Younger, a tutor of Emperor Nero of Rome, wrote: "Letters, however small and indistinct, are seen enlarged and more clearly through a globe or glass filled with water". Nero (reigned 54–68 AD) is also said to have watched the gladiatorial games using an emerald as a corrective lens. 

The first eyeglasses

The first eyeglasses were made in Italy at about 1286 originally consisting of thin pieces of glass which were placed directly onto the eye ball. According to a sermon delivered on February 23, 1306, by the Dominican friar Giordano da Pisa (ca. 1255–1311): "It is not yet twenty years since there was found the art of making eyeglasses, which make for good vision...And it is so short a time that this new art, never before extant, was discovered...I saw the one who first discovered and practiced it, and I talked to him." Giordano's colleague Friar Alessandro della Spina of Pisa (d. 1313) was soon making eyeglasses. The Ancient Chronicle of the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine in Pisa records: "Eyeglasses, having first been made by someone else, who was unwilling to share them, he [Spina] made them and shared them with everyone with a cheerful and willing heart." By 1301, there were guild regulations in Venice governing the sale of eyeglasses.

The 'Glasses Apostle' by Conrad von Soest (1403)

In 1907, Professor Berthold Laufer, who was a German-American anthropologist, stated in his history of spectacles that 'the opinion that spectacles originated in India is of the greatest probability and that spectacles must have been known in India earlier than in Europe'.

Although there have been claims that Salvino degli Armati of Florence invented eyeglasses, these claims have been exposed as hoaxes. Furthermore, although there have been claims that Marco Polo encountered eyeglasses during his travels in China in the 13th century, no such statement appears in his accounts. Indeed, the earliest mentions of eyeglasses in China occur in the 15th century and those Chinese sources state that eyeglasses were imported.

The earliest pictorial evidence for the use of eyeglasses is Tommaso da Modena's 1352 portrait of the cardinal Hugh de Provence reading in a scriptorium. Another early example would be a depiction of eyeglasses found north of the Alps in an altarpiece of the church of Bad Wildungen, Germany, in 1403.

Detail of a portrait of the Dominican Cardinal and renowned biblical scholar Hugh of Saint-Cher painted by Tomaso da Modena in 1352

These early spectacles had convex lenses that could correct both hyperopia (farsightedness), and the presbyopia that commonly develops as a symptom of aging. It was not until 1604 that Johannes Kepler published the first correct explanation as to why convex and concave lenses could correct presbyopia and myopia.

Later developments

The first lenses for correcting Astigmatism were designed by the British astronomer George Airy in 1825.

Over time, the construction of spectacle frames also evolved. Early eyepieces were designed to be either held in place by hand or by exerting pressure on the nose (pince-nez). Girolamo Savonarola suggested that eyepieces could be held in place by a ribbon passed over the wearer's head, this in turn secured by the weight of ahat. The modern style of glasses, held by temples passing over the ears, was developed some time before 1727, possibly by the British optician Edward Scarlett. These designs were not immediately successful, however, and various styles with attached handles such as "scissors-glasses" and lorgnettes were also fashionable from the second half of the 18th century and into the early 19th century.

French Empire gilt scissors glasses c. 1805 (with one lens missing)

Despite the increasing popularity of contact lenses and laser corrective eye surgery, glasses remain very common, as their technology has improved. For instance, it is now possible to purchase frames made of special memory metal alloys that return to their correct shape after being bent. Other frames have spring-loaded hinges. Either of these designs offers dramatically better ability to withstand the stresses of daily wear and the occasional accident. Modern frames are also often made from strong, light-weight materials such as titanium alloys, which were not available in earlier times.

Timeline of Eyeglasses

Eye glasses have existed for several centuries, completely changing the lives of people who might otherwise be doomed to live with poor vision. The first eye glasses were actually quite different from what we use today; in fact, they used emeralds for lenses! Follow this timeline to learn about the evolution of eye glasses throughout history.

60 A.D. – Among the first to use glass to help with vision was none other than Nero, the famed Roman Emperor. His were made from emeralds, and soon became fashionable with affluent citizens.

1284 – 1285 – Although the exact date is unknown, historians have ascertained that the first prototype of spectacles originated in the late 1200s. Little is known about the inventor, except that he was Italian.

1300 – The Venetian Glassmakers Guild created regulations for spectacle lenses to prevent counterfeiting. Rock crystal was the norm, instead of cheaper glass.

1352 – Even by the mid-1300s, eyeglasses were mainly used by the wealthy classes, indicating high education and influence. This often included nobles and clergy.

1456 – After the printing press was invented, books and reading were not just limited to upper classes anymore. This meant that more and more people developed the need for eye glasses.

1623 - Even as far as the early 1600s, physicians still had not developed an exact way to measure the strength of a lens required by a patient. They typically dealt with this issue through trial and error, and then with the use of graded lenses.

1700s – Until now, spectacles were precariously balanced on the wearer’s nose! An optician in Paris attached arms, which were further developed by an Englishman so that they extended to the ears for easier wearing.

1776 – As colonialists spread through America, it was often only the more prominent members of society who wore eye glasses. This included notable figures such as George Washington.

1784 – There is a widespread belief than Benjamin Franklin created the first pair of bifocals. However, evidence suggests that this had more to do with an optician in England named Samuel Pierce.

1828 – Recognizing astigmatism as a common sight disorder, an American optician named John McAllister Jr. created concave lenses to correct the problem effectively.

1841 – Andrew Jackson, the first U.S. president to commission a pair of eye glasses, created a major buzz for the ophthalmologist who delivered them!

1879 – The era of electricity and electric lighting allowed people to read after dark, without straining their eyes as they previously did with candles and gaslights.

1916 – Before World War I, Americans purchased lenses from European sources. The war changed everything, and prompted the rise of Bausch & Lomb, a U.S.-based company that specialized in producing ophthalmic glass.

1926 – As the Gutenberg printing press made near-sighted people realize a need for reading glasses, the introduction of the television gave rise to a demand for far-sighted glasses.

Late 1940s – The post-World War II economy meant finding cheaper alternatives to existing products. In the case of eye glasses, acrylic replaced glass as a cheaper, lighter alternative.

1962 – Since acrylic was easily damaged, a better plastic lens was developed by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. It was lightweight, but not very attractive!

1972 – In the United States, the FDA passed a regulation so that all eye glass lenses had to pass a shatter-resistance test to ensure that wearers would remain safe.

1983 – Still seeking to make better lenses, the Gentex Corporation created a polycarbonate lens. At the time, they were thinner, lighter and more durable than existing counterparts. However the optics were not as strong as they could be.

1987 – A new offering from Optima Inc. showcased a lens that was thin, lightweight, and eliminated distortion. It was called the Hyperindex® 1.60.

1990 – Following up their last success, Optima Inc. launched the Hyperindex® 1.60 Progressive. It eliminated the bifocal line and combined all of a patient’s vision needs into one lens.

1992 – In the next few years, eye glass lenses continued to be perfected. They became even lighter and far thinner, reducing the distorted effect that older lenses created.

1995 – With eye glasses heavily used by a large percentage of the population, many trends came into play, including colored frames, and different styles of frames. During this period, large and round-shaped frames were still quite popular.

2000s – Breaking away from the retro trends of earlier years, the first decade of the 21^st century has been all about sleek, elegant, professional looks. Eye glass frames became even skinnier, with the lens frames elongated to rectangular shapes rather than the older squares and circles.