Title:

Eyeglasses through Time

Author: Steven Zecchin
Student Number: 0742301

Date: 29/10/2010

Executive summary

This report describes and outlines the path eyeglasses has taken from their invention
about 800 years ago up until modern times, in terms of its design, geographical
development and influences in other fields.

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Index Table

1. Introduction......................................................................3
2. Design and Issues.............................................................3
3. Evolution through History.................................................4
3.1 Origin and Invention..............................................................4
3.2 The 18th century...................................................................5
3.3 The 19th century...................................................................6
3.4 The 20th century...................................................................7
3.5 Today...................................................................................7
4. Contributions of Engineering through time ........................7
5. Conclusion........................................................................8
References...........................................................................9

Table of Figures

Figure 1. Tommaso da Modena, 1352, Portrait of Hugh de

Provence..............................................................................5
Figure 2. Pach Brothers, 1915, Theodor Roosevelt wearing
pince nez eyeglasses.............................................................6
Figure 3. Example of a lorgnette............................................6

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1. Introduction

About 10 years ago a feature article in Newsweek Magazine (Newsweek, Jan 11, 1999 and

copyright 1999 Newsweek, Inc.) promoted eyeglasses as one of the most important inventions of

the past 2000 years and yet such a device seems to be taken for granted by the modern world.

Eyeglasses, which are simply devices used for eye correction and eye protection, have

substantially increased the opportunities of elderly people and people with eye handicaps to be

actively part of society and not be at a disadvantage to their peers.

People seem unaware of how the most brilliant minds have spent their time trying to achieve the

best results from glassmakers to jewelers, mathematicians to physicists, astronomers to chemists

for the past several centuries.

2. Design and Issues

Since they were invented, eye glasses have posed a problem that would cause eye makers infinite

struggles and endless attempts for almost 350 years: how to keep the lenses on.

The spectacle frame is considered an example of one of the most complicated engineering design

due to the presence of so many variable factors.

Such factors include the shape, size and firmness of the nose and symmetry and amount

of hair upon the ears. Moreover, glasses require the lens plane to be perpendicular to the visual

axis which would be possible if there was only one direction of gazer. (R.J Phillips. “Spectacles

and Eyeglasses”. Second edition revised, Philadelphia P. Blakiston, Son & CO. 1895)

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3. Evolution through History
3.1 Origin and Invention

It is very hard to pinpoint when the first model was invented.

Some experts classified the Chinese as the first developers of spectacles about 2000 years ago,

although they most likely used them to protect their eyes from an apparent evil force.

(Spencer, Discala. Eyeglasses Through the Ages.

http://www.antiquespectacles.com/history/ages/through_the_ages.html, 2003).”.

The first real proof that the principle of the convex lens had already been developed dates

back to the 1200’s as confirmed by the English Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon (1220-1292) in his

1268 “Opus Majus”. Bacon also mentioned the work of Alhazen (965-1038)-- an Arabian

mathematician and astronomer in Cairo considered to be the “Father of modern optics”

(Rosenthal, J. William, M.D. Spectacles and Other Vision Aids: A History and Guide to

Collecting, San Francisco: Norman Pub., 1996).

The earliest recorded evidence of the existence of glasses appears in 1286 in Pisa, Italy.

From a technical perspective, they were formed from two primitive convex-shaped glass/crystal

stones, which were surrounded by a frame and given a handle. It is not until 1306 that the actual

word “Occhiale” (eye glasses in Italian) was coined. It was a monk from St.Catherine’s

Monastery, Giordano da Rivalto, who mentioned them in his sermon. (Rosen, Edward. "The

Invention of Eyeglasses." Journal of the History of Medicine, v. 11, 1956, pp. 13-46, and pp. 183-

218. )

It is not a coincidence that it was Tuscany and in particular Florence to lead the

innovation, production, sale of spectacles within and outside Italy. During the 14th and 15th

Century in fact, Italy and Europe were going through the “Renaissance”, which is a cultural

movement and consolidated Florence as the capital of Europe in terms of Innovation and

Technology (Ilardi, Vincent. "Renaissance Florence: The Optical Capital of the World." Journal

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of European Economic History, v. 22, no. 3, 1993, pp. 507-41.).

Thanks to the massive production undertaken by the Italian city, spectacles were fairly cheap and

affordable for almost anyone and therefore spread very quickly. It is thought that almost everyone

over forty had to make use of them in order to perform in everyday work or leisure activities.

(Ilardi, Vincent. "Renaissance Florence: The Optical Capital of the World." Journal of European

Economic History, v. 22, no. 3, 1993, pp. 507-41.)

The oldest known pictorial representation of eye glasses is in the Basilica of San Niccolo’ in

Treviso in which Tommaso da Modena painted the Cardinal Hugh of Provence wearing a pair of

rivet spectacles as you can see from Figure 1 .

Figure 1. Tommaso da Modena, 1352, Portrait of Hugh de Provence.

Available at: "http://www.google.ca/imgres?

imgurl=http://historyofscience.com/G2I/timeline/images/first_depiction_of_spectacles-
tommaso_da_modena_1352.jpg&imgrefurl=http://historyofscience.com/G2I/”

3.2 The 18th century

In the 18th century further changes were made. In Spain, ribbons of silk were used as handles

while in China little ceramic or metal weights were attached to the strings.

In 1730 a London optician came up with the use of rigid sidepieces that rested atop ears and

spread the new design to the continent.

Later on, in 1752 James Ayscough perfected this design and advertised his latest

invention--spectacles with double-hinged side pieces. This was the most popular design ever

invented and it appeared in many paintings and prints of the period. (Spencer, Discala.

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Eyeglasses Through the Ages.

http://www.antiquespectacles.com/history/ages/through_the_ages.html, 2003)

3.3 The 19th century

The 19th Century is important for bringing to the limelight two well-known types of glasses: the

prince-nez and the lorgnette. The first one is supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge

of the nose and can be seen in Figure 2. It was used by the finest Genlemenwore of the time and

it offered several styles from heavy to delicate, oval to straight and it was usually chained about

the neck.

Figure 2. Pach Brothers, 1915, Theodor Roosevelt wearing pince nez eyeglasses.

Available at: “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:T_Roosevelt.jpg”

The lorgnette, which consisted of a pair of spectacles with a handle, was very popular among the

ladies since the frame and handle were artistically embellished and they were worn more often as

a piece of jewelry than as a visual aid as shown in figure 3 (Heyman, Madame Alfred, Lunettes et

Lorgnettes de Jadis, J. Leroy, Paris 1911).

Figure 3. Example of a lorgnette.

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 Available at: http://www.google.ca/imgres?
imgurl=http://www.antiquespectacles.com/glossary/images/Lorgnette_-
Platinum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.antiquespectacles.com/glossary/glossary.htm&h=297&w=432&sz=15&tbn
id=gzvcEYF5yskVmM:&tbn”

3.4 The 20th century

The enormous round spectacles and the pince-nez continued to be worn in the twenties. In the

thirties there was increased emphasis on style in glasses with a variety of spectacles available.

3.5 Today
Today’s glasses are made of the most advanced plastics and range from polycarbonate with very

high resistance to photo chromic that change from clear to tinted which eliminates the need for

prescription sunglasses.. Not only that but recently special eye glasses capable of reducing eye

illness have been developed (University of Michigan Health System. "Prismatic Eyeglasses for

Headaches and Dizziness Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury Appears Promising, Study Finds."

ScienceDaily 9 June 2010. 6 October 2010).

4. Contributions of Engineering through time

Throughout these years, it is clear that there have been two main engineering challenges: the

frame and the lenses.

The latter has been affected by the scientific field of optics. Scientists and physicist have been

working and studying on how light interacts and how to take advantage of this new knowledge.

Galileo, Newton and Descartes are some of the major contributors in this field.

It is with no doubt that the progression in the use of eyeglasses has brought to further

developments in different branches of visional optics and in the creation of devices such as the

telescope (see Galileo) and, closer to our time, photo camera and lasers.

(Ted, Montgomery. Eyeglasses and Optics.

http://www.tedmontgomery.com/the_eye/glasses.html)

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 In recent years, the development of lenses has brought to the invention of high index

plastic lenses, which are the fastest growing segment of the eye glass lens market. These lenses

are made of a material with a high index of refraction that can bend light more efficiently and

thanks to their superior qualities they can be made a lot thinner than glass made lenses. (Rault-

Berthelot, Joëlle, and Eugène Raoult. "New Electrochemically Synthesized Mixed Polymers with

very High Electrochemical Stability." Advanced Materials for Optics and Electronics 10.6

(2000): 267-72. )

Since lenses were advancing in lighter and smoother versions it was necessary to design a

frame lighter and resistant to follow their same path.

This new need has given incentives in the discovery of new materials capable of achieving such

goals. From metals, in the early times up, until the rise of plastics in more recent times the

materials used in eyeglasses frame have evolved considerably and are still open to further

innovations (Gottlieb, Leonard. Factory Made: How Things are Manufactured. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin Co., 1978. )

5. Conclusion

This report has listed and explained the various steps the development of eyeglasses has taken. It

also shows how glasses have affected different scientific and engineering streams highlighting the

importance they have had in the history of mankind doubling the active life of everyone who has

had to read or do fine work. However, due to the ambiguity that lies around the true inventor of

such a device, when it is all summed up, the fact remains that this world has found lenses on the

top of its nose without knowing whom to thank.

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References
Internet sources

Spencer, Discala. Eyeglasses Through the Ages.

http://www.antiquespectacles.com/history/ages/through_the_ages.htm 2003

Richard D. Drewry, Jr., M.D. What Man Devised That He Might See.
http://www.teagleoptometry.com/history.htm.

Ted ,M. Montgomery. Eyeglasses and Optics.

http://www.tedmontgomery.com/the_eye/glasses.html

Journal articles

University of Michigan Health System. "Prismatic Eyeglasses for Headaches and Dizziness
Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury Appears Promising, Study Finds." Science Daily 9 June 2010.

Rault-Berthelot, Joëlle, and Eugène Raoult. "New Electrochemically Synthesized Mixed

Polymers with very High Electrochemical Stability." Advanced Materials for Optics and
Electronics 10.6 (2000): 267-72.

Books

Heyman, Madame Alfred, Lunettes et Lorgnettes de Jadis, J. Leroy, Paris 1911

Ilardi, Vincent. "Renaissance Florence: The Optical Capital of the World." Journal of European
Economic History, v. 22, no. 3, 1993, pp. 507-41

Rosenthal, J. William, M.D. Spectacles and Other Vision Aids: A History and Guide to
Collecting, San Francisco: Norman Pub., 1996

R.J Phillips. “Spectacles and Eyeglasses”. Second edition revised, Philadelphia

P. Blakiston, Son & CO. 1895

Rosen, Edward. “The Invention of Eyeglasses." Journal of the History of Medicine, v. 11, 1956,
pp. 13-46, and pp. 183-218.

Gottlieb, Leonard. “Factory Made: How Things are Manufactured”. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 1978.

Ronchi, Vasco. “Perche non si ritrova l'inventore degli Occhiale?”. Rivista di oftalmologia, v. 1,

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1946, p. 140

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