It is unlikely that instruments for visual aid were used in ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome. Although Nero used an emerald to watch the gladiator games, he probably used it for the green color (which blocked out the sunlight). The ancient Chinese are often thought to have developed spectacles 2,000 years ago, but those lenses were only used to protect eyes from evil forces.
History
The first visual aid instruments were developed around 1000 C.E., when reading stones (magnifying glasses) were developed to aid monks in reading and writing. The Venetians learned to produce glass reading stones that were placed on the reading material. They later began making frames with glass lenses to wear in front of the eyes. The first spectacles (frames with sidebars) were probably made between 1268 and 1289, though the name of the inventor is unknown. The earliest artistic representation of eyeglasses appeared in paintings by Tomasso da Modena in 1352. His paintings showed monks reading and copying manuscripts using magnifying glasses that were perched on the nose.
Time Frame
Over time, lenses were developed to aid a variety of visual impairments. The first lenses were used for reading and to aid farsightedness. Then, in the 16th century, concave lenses were introduced to aid myopia (nearsightedness). Pope Leo X used these lenses while hunting. The use of spectacles spread from Italy to other parts of Europe including the Low Countries, Spain, Germany, France and England. Eyeglasses were expensive in Colonial America, as they had to be imported from Europe. In the 1780s, Benjamin Franklin grew weary of having to switch between distance and reading glasses. As a result, he developed what would later become known as bifocals. In 1827, London optician John Isaac Hawkins developed trifocals and patented the terms “bifocals” and “trifocals.”
Prevention/Solution
One of the most significant problems with eyeglasses and spectacles was how to keep them from falling off one’s face. The earliest spectacles were made from quartz lenses which were set into v-shaped mountings and placed on the nose. The 17th century Spanish experimented with tying ribbons over the ears, but it never caught on. When the Italians and Spanish introduced spectacles to China, the Chinese tried adding ceramic weights to the ribbons. Finally in 1730, London optician Edward Scarlett solved the problem by developing rigid side pieces to be placed over the ears. This design spread throughout Europe and became the model for today’s glasses.
Types
Different types of spectacles and eyeglasses have developed throughout history. Although the terms spectacles and eyeglasses are used interchangeably today, spectacles historically referred to frames with sidebars while eyeglasses referred to lenses with no sidebars. The monocle (used to correct vision in one eye) was developed in Germany in the 1700s and came to England in the 1800s. Austrian J.F. Voigtlander made monocles in Vienna and contributed to their increasing popularity among upper-class men in Germany and Russia. Monocles continued to be popular until the end of World War I. After that, they fell out of fashion due to their associations with the German military. In the 18th century, English optician George Adams developed the lorgnette (spectacles that were held with a handle rather than placed over the ears). Lorgnettes were often artistically embellished and became popular for English ladies of fashion. Pince-nez spectacles (eyeglasses without earpieces, instead pinching the nose) first appeared in the 1840s, but became popular in the latter part of the 19th century. They came in many styles for both men and women, and they had the advantage of being easily slipped on and off.
Considerations
Until recently, many Europeans (and later Americans) were reluctant to wear eyeglasses in public. The English and French considered it a stigma to admit needing visual assistance. Noblemen of England and France preferred the monocle, which they could easily and discreetly slip on and off. The Spanish, however, considered eyeglasses to be a mark of stature. They believed eyeglasses made them look intelligent and dignified. Yet even as recently as the early 20th century, optician Dr. Norburne Jenkins wrote that eyeglasses should seldom be worn in public and that glasses were particularly disfiguring to women and girls. Still, by 1914, the stigma of eyeglasses had begun to wane and glasses began to be worn in public. Tortoise shell frames became popular in the early 20th century while the prince-nez remained popular with the elderly until the 1930s. In the 1930s, Hollywood celebrities contributed to the popularity of sunglasses, causing glasses to become a mark of fashion as well as a visual aid.