alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter tiktok wechat user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

Some Glasses History Trivia

Throughout history people have had vision problems. Today, we’re incredibly appreciative of all the modern technologies and scientific developments that help protect our sight. The different ways that people have coped with vision problems provide some interesting factoids…

1. The Roman Emperor, Nero

Nero reportedly looked through an emerald to watch the gladiatorial games. This may have modified or magnified his sight, but it may have also been a technique to help cut the glare of the sun.

2. Roman Author, Seneca

Looking through a bottle full of water was Seneca’s preferred method of vision correction. He claimed to have read “all the books of Rome” using this corrective lens. Clever, Seneca.

3. Monocles & Scissors Glasses

The biggest challenge of practical corrective lenses was finding a way to keep the lens in front of the eye. That’s why so many varieties of hardware have been produced, from the monocle, to the pince-nez, to lorgnettes. The invention of scissors glasses helped replace the monocle, providing two lenses on a “Y”-shaped frame. They typically had a ring at the end of the handle so a gold chain or ribbon could be attached to drape around one’s neck.

4. Reading Stones

Lumps of glass, called reading stones, were used by medieval monks to read holy texts. Placing them on the page, the lettering would be magnified.

5. The First Contact Lenses

German glassblower, F.E. Muller created the first successful contact lens when he designed a tiny glass lens for a man whose eyelid had been destroyed by cancer. The man wore the lens until his death 20 years later.

6. Polarizing Lenses

The polarizing lens filter was patented in 1929 by Edwin Land, who then started the company Polaroid and started mass-marketing sunglasses.

Interested In How Glasses Frames Are Made?

Technology and manufacturing techniques have come a long way since the days of handmade scissors glasses!

[iframe http://www.youtube.com/embed/w6FgXlffnC0 620 349]

Today we better understand the properties and benefits of refractive light. We have the technology to make lenses and frames to fit your exact needs. And, we have so much more knowledge about the eye itself—how it works and how to keep it healthy.

Are your corrective lenses making you feel like you’re back in George Washington’s day? Let’s visit.

Thanks for the trust you place in our practice. Thanks for making us one of your lifelong health partners.