The sunglasses fashion

CEBU, Philippines — The research and work of 18th century English optician James Ayscough often crops up in discussions on the history of the sunglasses. But, as it turns out, the history of eyewear intended to block sunlight’s glare dates to prehistoric times.

From the “snow goggles” of the ancient Inuit and Yupik peoples of the Arctic to Foster Grant’s mass-produced sunglasses in the 1920s, there have been notable specs that, one way or another, led to the sunglasses’ popularity today.

The “snow goggles” – Crafted from driftwood, walrus ivory, caribou antlers and/or animal bone, the Ancient Inuit and Yupik wore “snow goggles” as a means to protect their eyes from sunlight reflected on snowy surfaces.

These “goggles” were typically carved to snugly fit a wearer’s face and had horizontal slits that allowed wearers to see enough of what’s in front of them without reflected sunlight obscuring their vision.

Specs in Ancient Rome and China – Historians note that the earliest known historical reference of the use of sunglasses dates to the Ancient Roman period, with the Roman Emperor Nero (who ruled from 54 to 68 AD) said to have watched gladiator fights through polished gems.

In Ancient China, eyewear made of smoky quartz is said to have been around by the 12th century. Various researchers note that a number of judges wore these “sunglasses” in ancient Chinese courtrooms as a means of hiding their facial expressions when they were judging a case.

James Ayscough’s tinted specs – English optician and scientific-equipment maker James Ayscough is a pioneer in making sunglasses, though his intention wasn’t exactly to make them for sunlight protection but for vision correction.

Historians note that in the 1750s, Ayscough began making color tinted spectacles that bore a double-hinge side design in a shop in London which he operated sometime between 1740 and 1759. Ayscough’s tinted spectacles are widely attributed to be the archetype of the sunglasses as it is known today.

Sam Foster’s mass-produced sunglasses – In the late 1920s, American plastics molding and manufacturing firm Foster Grant began mass-producing sunglasses that were intended to protect their wearers’ eyes from sunlight.

The firm, which was founded by Sam Foster in 1919 to produce ladies’ hair accessories, sold its first pair of sunglasses at a Woolworth retail store (a pioneer of the five-and-dime store concept) in 1929 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The item was a huge hit with the sunbathing public at the time.

Polarized Sunglasses – In 1936, Edwin Land, the man behind the Polaroid brand, began developing polarized sunglasses.

The eyewear was based on the a polarizing material which Land invented in 1929, and was different from other sunglasses at the time as it could screen out glare and not just darken a field of view.

The “Aviator” – In 1936, the 1853 US-founded Bosch & Lomb firm designed a pair of sunglasses intended for pilots.

Dubbed the “Aviator,” historians note that it became the eyewear of choice among pilots, so much so that it succeeded the wearing of flight goggles as these were more less-restrictive to the wearer.

General Douglas McArthur, the Field Marshal of the Philippine Army during World War II, is credited to have contributed to the popularity of the “Aviator” sunglasses with many newspaper photographs of the General wearing a pair.