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Background
It is unclear which part of the world glasses originated in. The Chinese are often credited with the creation of the first pair of glasses; however they were not used for the same reason modern glasses are used. The Chinese believed that wearing these lenses would protect them from evil spirits. XXX

The first recorded instance of glasses being used to enhance eye site can be traced back to the year 1262. A man named Roger Bacon wrote about experiments done with lenses. He noticed that convex lenses amplified the letters on a page of a book. Realizing the importance of his discovery, Bacon sent magnifying glasses to Pope Clement VI. Bacon was imprisoned for his experiments done on refraction and reflection; the authorities saw his experiments it as a form of witchcraft. Bacon contributions to the eye glass industry were not in vane. Shortly after: his imprisonment monks began to use glasses to aid them in copying scriptures and manuscripts.XXXXX

Forty years later in Pisa Italy, a monk by the name of Giordano da Rivalto was the first person on record to dub the term eye glasses. In his sermon he mentioned how drastically the invention of eyeglasses changed the way of life, he stated that they were invented less than 20 years ago. This sermon was given in 1306 so that would put the invention of eyeglasses to be around 1280-1290s.XXXX

The demand for eye glasses grew when the printing press was invented in 1450. The printing press made the amount of literature available increase drastically. Therefore there was a massive escalation in the amount of glasses being sold to assist with reading. The production of eye glasses was aided by the public’s views on glasses. In Spain and Italy glasses were used as a status symbol.

The demand for glasses was so high that in 1535 Germany formed the Nuremberg spectacle makers guild. With the birth of the specatacle makers guild, Germany established its name in the spectacle making industry. Prior to the 1700s Germany was the lead manufacturer of glasses frames.

History: Eyeglass Frames

 * The reading stone was first used around 1000A.D. Reading stones were made of polished crystal; quartz was primary used in making reading :stones. The ancient Greeks and Romans developed an advanced form of the reading stone. They used a glass sphere and filled it with water to :magnify what they were reading. The reading stone was the starting point of what we have come to know as a magnifying glass.

The reading rock stone led to the invention of the lenses. The next step for the glasses industry was the invention of frames for the lenses. The first glasses frames were made by using materials such as bone, metal, and leather. These frames were only a fraction of the ones that are used to today. The frames were no more than two lenses attached by material in the shape of a V that would sit on the bridge of the nose. A common material used for frames was the tortoise shell because of its light weight and because the tortoise is believed to bring good luck in China. Baleen (whale bone) and leather were also used for their weight, however theses materials did not last long.

The first frame advancement was made in the early 1600s in Spain. The first form of frames were crafted out of string that was tied around the ears of the wearer. Hence the names for these spectacles, thread loop spectacles.

Other eyeglass makers combated the scissor effects of glasses by making hand held glasses. The frames for these glasses included a side attachment that let the reader hold the glasses up to their face. This eliminated the pinching associated with glasses, but added the annoyance of having to hold the glasses. This type of eyeglass frame is known as the lorgnette and it’s primary use is to make a fashion statement. These frames were invented by George Adams in the late 18th century and were typically used by ladies in the upper class.

The frames were further developed when Spanish and Italian missionaries brought the new eye glasses to China. The Chinese invented frames that used string (usually silk) tied to rocks. The silk string would lie over the ear and was held down by the weight of the rocks.

The next advancement in eyeglass frames was not until 1730. Edward Scarlett invented the frames that sit on top of the readers ears. These frames are called temple spectacles because they sit on the temples of the ears.

In 1752 a man named James Ayscough was the first person to promote the use of color lenses. He also sold double hinged glasses.

In the mid 1700s the eyeglass frames continued to change. Martin Margin was an optician during this time. He believed that sunlight caused damage to peoples eyes. Margin developed glasses that reduced the amount of light let into the eyes. The frame of these glasses were so unique that they were named after their maker.

In 1820 J.F. Voigtlander invented a rimless monocle. This made way for the creation of rimless frames which were popular in the late 1800s. This frame was made by connecting the temples and bridge directly to the lenses by using screws.

The rise of the eyeglass industry in the United States was pioneered by John McAllister. McAllister founded the first glasses shop in the United States. McAllister made his frames out of gold and silver. Another notable American spectacle makers are John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb. Their shop was opened in 1853 and flourished after the Civil War because of the demand for rubber glasses.

Styles

 * Browline
 * In 1947 Jack Rohrbach invented a type of glasses named the browline glasses. These glasses were thick on the top of the frames were the wearer’s eyebrows would be, hence how they got their name.


 * Cat Eye
 * In the 1950s a small change was made to the browline glasses. This new type of frames was similar to the browline glasses but the top of the frames flared out. These glasses were primarily marketed towards females.


 * Horn Rimmed
 * The earliest forms of frames were made out of horn because of its light weight. Today the hornrimmed glasses are made out of cellulose acetate or other light plastics.