Who hasn’t sat on a pair of glasses or dropped their disposable contact lenses onto the floor after a long day? We tend to take our corrective lenses for granted. These days, it’s easy to walk into an optometrist to get replacement contacts or glasses, but this wasn’t always the case. It took thousands of years of ingenuity and innovation to get corrective lenses to where they are today.
Ever thought about the long history of how your eyeglasses came to be? Here’s a rundown of the highlights – from looking through rocks to looking though all the online options we have today!
Ever thought about the long history of how your eyeglasses came to be? Here’s a rundown of the highlights – from looking through rocks to looking though all the online options we have today!
Early attempts at vision correction
Believe it or not, even ancient cultures knew a thing or two about how lenses could improve sight. Egyptians used chips of rocks and obsidian in order to better see small objects, and in the 12th century, transparent stones were used in China as sunglasses. The magnifying glass was officially invented in England around 1250 and was used to view small objects and make text clearer.
Italian style
13th century Italy is where eyeglasses as we know them today really began to take form. Glass blowers in Venice started experimenting with glass lenses that could alter vision. They were attached to the wearer’s head with leather and bone frames. You may even recognize a 1352 painting named “Portrait of the Cardinal Hugh de Provence” that depicts a monk using these early glasses to write a manuscript.
As these glass-blown glasses became more popular, inventors began to look at ways to improve their function. By the 17th century, concave and convex lenses were being developed that corrected both near- and farsighted vision.
Additionally, modern frames were invented that allowed glasses to be hooked around the ears and balanced on the nose. Many craftsmen added engravings, mixed materials, and unique shapes to the frames, giving wearers a more customized look.
As these glass-blown glasses became more popular, inventors began to look at ways to improve their function. By the 17th century, concave and convex lenses were being developed that corrected both near- and farsighted vision.
Additionally, modern frames were invented that allowed glasses to be hooked around the ears and balanced on the nose. Many craftsmen added engravings, mixed materials, and unique shapes to the frames, giving wearers a more customized look.
Double duty
Benjamin Franklin is most famous for being one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, but did you know that he also invented the bifocals? Like many people, he began to suffer from both near- and farsightedness as he aged and became annoyed by constantly having to switch between glasses.
In 1779, he came up with the solution to create glasses that had a split lens. One half of the lens allowed him to see up close and the other far away. These are now known as bifocals and they’re still used today to correct vision problems associated with age.
In 1779, he came up with the solution to create glasses that had a split lens. One half of the lens allowed him to see up close and the other far away. These are now known as bifocals and they’re still used today to correct vision problems associated with age.
But what about contacts?
Glasses weren’t the only type of corrective lenses going through a period of invention. In 1508, Leonardo Da Vinci sketched an idea for corrective lenses that would sit directly on the eye. It wasn’t until 1887 that a German glass blower named F.E Muller was able to use this idea to create lenses that were actually comfortable to wear. They were made of thick glass and caused more irritation than the contacts we know today, but the contact innovation had begun!
Bringing corrective eyewear to the masses
Even though little changed about the shape of eyeglasses over the following centuries, cost continued to be a big barrier to mass popularity. Because the price of glasses was so high, only members of the upper class could afford to wear them.
This all changed with the industrial revolution, when the invention of powered machines allowed companies to produce eyeglasses in large quantities. Glasses were still an expensive item, but middle class families were now able to afford them.
While glasses were becoming available to the masses, innovations to contact lenses were happening behind the scenes. Optometrists were working hard to improve safety and comfort. In 1929, a Hungarian physician named Joseph Dallos found a way to take molds of the human eye, drastically improving the fit and comfort of contacts.
This all changed with the industrial revolution, when the invention of powered machines allowed companies to produce eyeglasses in large quantities. Glasses were still an expensive item, but middle class families were now able to afford them.
While glasses were becoming available to the masses, innovations to contact lenses were happening behind the scenes. Optometrists were working hard to improve safety and comfort. In 1929, a Hungarian physician named Joseph Dallos found a way to take molds of the human eye, drastically improving the fit and comfort of contacts.
Our plastic world
Finally, in 1936, American optometrist William Feinbloom created contact lenses made from plastic. These plastic lenses were more comfortable and posed less of a chance of scratching the wearer’s eyes. Feinbloom’s contacts proved that the contact lens design was a viable method of vision correction.
Newer lenses were developed in the 1960s using a water-absorbing plastic known as Polymacon, which became widely available around the globe by the 1970s.
The innovation didn’t stop here. Disposable soft lenses entered the market in 1987, and it seems there’s no turning back. These lenses are easier on the eyes and more convenient than any earlier contacts, and remain popular to this day!
Newer lenses were developed in the 1960s using a water-absorbing plastic known as Polymacon, which became widely available around the globe by the 1970s.
The innovation didn’t stop here. Disposable soft lenses entered the market in 1987, and it seems there’s no turning back. These lenses are easier on the eyes and more convenient than any earlier contacts, and remain popular to this day!
Seeing our way into the future
Optometry is an ever-evolving field, with new innovations constantly making clear vision more comfortable and convenient. Surgery, implants, and other cutting-edge technologies continue to improve the way we see.
Thanks to the amazing discoveries made through history, people who need corrective lenses now have dozens of options to choose from – often right at their fingertips through the ease of online ordering.
If you’re looking for stylish, effective vision correction, Lethbridge Vision Centre offers modern options that maximize comfort and convenience. Who knew your daily vision correction had such an interesting history?
Thanks to the amazing discoveries made through history, people who need corrective lenses now have dozens of options to choose from – often right at their fingertips through the ease of online ordering.
If you’re looking for stylish, effective vision correction, Lethbridge Vision Centre offers modern options that maximize comfort and convenience. Who knew your daily vision correction had such an interesting history?
