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The History of Eyeglasses

Reading stones, the first known attempt at an implement to aid in visual perception, were known to have been in use around 1000 AD. This was a glass sphere placed on top of the written material (or images) to enlarge what was seen. The first glasses to be worn on the face were invented in Italy around 1284. History suggest a man named Salvino D'Armate was responsible for this renovation. 

A famous Roman tragedy writer, Seneca ( who lived from 4 BC  to 65AD) was reported to have used a glass globe full of water as a magnification glass to read the books of Rome. Monks in the Middle Ages may have also used this method. In the 13th century. Venetians glass blowers utilized reading stones made of solid glass that were put into single-lens, hand held frames made of wood or horn. These were the first known magnifying glasses.

The first actual eyeglasses were made in Italy by monks or craftsmen in Pisa (or possibly Venice) from 1285 to1289. The  lenses were basically two small magnifying glasses, set into metal, bone, or leather, and balanced on the bridge of nose. The first known depiction of eyeglasses in art is from a painting by Tommaso da Modena, dating from 1352. The painting shows monks writiing and reading various texts. One is shown using a magnifying glass, and another has glasses perched on his nose.

Early eyeglasses had convex lenses that could help with farsightedness (or presbyopia). Nicholas of Cusa, a famous philosopher, theologian, jurist, and astronomer (1401 to 1464), is is thought to be the first to discover the use of concave lens for correcting nearsightedness (or myopia). Johannes Kepler published a treatise on optics and astronomy in 1604, the first accepted explanation for why concave  and convex lenses acts as they do to correct near and far sightedness. Benjamin Franklin, famous American inventor and scientist,  invented bifocals in 1784 in order to keep from switching between different pairs of eyeglasses. 

The gradual development of frames was inevitable. The first eyeglasses were designed to be held in front of the eyes or by perching on the nose. These latter were known as the pince-nez variety, from the french for "Pinch-nose." A man named  Girolamo Savonarola suggested that lenses could be held in place by a ribbon, then held down by a hat. It wasn't until 1727 that the British opticician Eward Scarlett developed our modern technique of using temples that lay over the ears. They didn't catch on immediately, though. Many people used lorgnettes and scissor glasses up till the 19th cantury. These were frames attached to a handle.

Many people may see themselves as expressing their personality by the type of glasses/frames they wear. A lot of  celebrities have used glasses to help form part of their publlic identity. The British comedian Eric Sykes wore glasses that had no lenses. They were a hearing aid conducting through the bone. Senator Barry Goldwater kept wearing  horn-rimmed spectacles after getting contact lenses, because the public did not recognize his changed appearance. Anne Kirkbride, a British soap-opera star, had the same problem.The character she played, Deirdre Barlow, on the show Coronation Street, was so recognized for her large frames that the public wanted her to wear them at social gatherings and on international tours,although she had previously worn contacts. Drew Carey wore glasses for the same reason , even though he had corrective laser eye surgery. Famous chef Masaharu Morimoto dons glasses to separate his job as a chef from his stage appearances as Iron Chef Japanese. The Beatle John Lennon represented his round-lens "Windsor" glasses throughout his life, and is well-known for them.

Even with the advent of lighter frames( such as titanium), lighter lenses,  flexible frames, and new optical coatings, eyewear is still vulnerable during heavy physical activities such as sports. Lenses can be smudged or trap vapor when drinking hot beverages, being outside in the rain, or when exposed to drastic temperature variations, like walking into a warmer area when it's cold outside. This can seriously affect your visibility. Scratching, fracturing, or breaking of your lenses requires lengthy and potentially expensive repair, although some more recent plastic lenses are very damage-resistant.

The John Lennon style of glasses are also known as Granny glasses.These are glasses with small lenses that can be rectangular or round, depending on the style. These were popular with counterculture fashion in the 60s, when they were seen on several leaders of the hippie movement at the time. They've been stereotyped as representative of the hippie lifestyle, and are also worn by older individuals.

The shape of thse type of glasses may vary. Many  during the 1960s had rectangular lenses in their glasses and thinner or half-frames. They were poplular among those who only needed them for reading or isolated tasks, rather than wearing them all the time. Another common variation of this style uses round lenses in full or half frames. Round glassses of this type are also known  as "Ben Franklin" glasses. Many paintings of Ben Franklin depict him wearing his own glasses, with their recognizably round, smaller lenses and thin frame. 

Granny glasses can have prescription lenses, though the small lenses make them more appropriate for occasonal use. A lot of people in the 60s wore tinted lenses, rocking them as sunglasses, and the tinting was sometimes done in an unusual color like orange or rose, hence the phrase, "seeing the world through rose-colored glasses."  Another strange fad of the 1960s, glassless glasses, was wearing only the frames, without lenses. People lost Interest in Granny glasses quickly in the 60s, as is common with fads. After a couple of  years of being popular, the style  vanished almost overnight. The image of Granny glasses became so closely associated with the hippie movement  that they are often worn by people adopting the style of that time period.