Calling all history buffs… a little history of lenses and some up-to-date “stuff”
Where did it start?
The earliest discovered lenses come from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. As early as 700 BC, the people of these regions carefully polished crystals, primarily quartz, in order to emulate the remarkable optical properties that they had observed that could be achieved with water.
Fast forward to 60 A.D. – the infamous ruler of the Roman Empire, Nero, was known to have used lenses made of emerald to observe gladiatorial contests. Although it’s unclear whether this improved his vision, the emerald lenses became a highly coveted fashion statement among the elite. Along with his toga, Nero’s affinity for emerald lenses may have cemented his place as one of the earliest fashion influencers in Italy’s history.
Reaching the 1200s marked the introduction of modern theories of light, Persian mathematician Ibn Sahl and Alhazen’s influential “Book of Optics”. This book claimed that light travels in straight lines and can bounce off all matter. This was one of the most important optic texts in Europe well into the 17th century.
Finally, in 1284, Friar Salvino D’Armate created the first wearable eyeglass.
1456 – The invention of the printing press was pivotal in eyeglass history the widespread printing of books the use of reading glasses began trickling down through the ranks of society. Spectacles were on their way to becoming an important accessory in everyday life for EVERYONE.
1704 Isaac Newton’s book “Opticks“ was accepted as the greatest achievement in light research of that time.
Believe it or not, until the 18th Century wearing spectacles was literally a balancing act — of the nose! That was before a Parisian optician added short arms to a pair of spectacles that extended out to the temples. An English optician later designed the world standard for spectacle frames.
1784– Despite the widespread belief that Benjamin Franklin invented the first bifocals, historical sources indicate that the concept of combining both distance and near lenses into one set of eyeglasses was invented earlier by at least one other man — the English optician Samuel Pierce, around 1775. So here we use UK-based Essilor lenses as a nod to Samuel and yes you can have them in bifocals or varifocals too!
Fast forward nearly 200 years 1940’s– Acrylic eyeglass lenses were invented in England (like all good things!) Acrylics had some disadvantages – brittle, easily scratched, and quick to discolour. Nevertheless, history will remember the material as the catalyst that inspired optical lens scientists to persevere until one day, they would discover the ultimate lightweight plastic lens.
It was only really from the 1970s onwards that glasses started to become fashionable. While some other designs existed, most eyeglasses up to this point were round with wireframes. In the 1970s, there was a realisation that glasses could come in different shapes and sizes.
And finally, more to date – in the 20th century Most notably, styles changed because of the availability and development of strong plastics. No longer did all glasses need to be made with wood, metal, or horn frames. Plastics can be moulded into many shapes and sizes. The 20th century also saw the rise of sunglasses.
Now in 2023, you are reading a history of glasses on Factory Glass Direct’s website!
Factory Glasses Direct provided the eye and glasses industry with quality lenses and frames for over 50 years. In 2023 the new Director decided to launch FGD, a new side of the business that provided the public access to the latest frames and quality work that their previous retail and industry clients received. By ordering direct from our factory, we cut out the middleman, simply upload your prescription, order your style, and wait for your glasses to arrive at your door!