| It may shock you to learn that sunglasses | | | | the boardwalk. |
| weren't always used to protect people's eyes | | | | |
| from the sun. The history of sunglasses dates | | | | In 1936, sunglasses became polarized when |
| back to ancient China and Rome. It has been | | | | Edwin H. Land began using his patented |
| reported that the Roman emperor Nero enjoyed | | | | Polaroid filter when making sunglasses. |
| watching gladiator fights through polished | | | | Around this time, even more Americans started |
| gems. In China, sunglasses were used in the | | | | buying sunglasses. Famous movie stars and |
| twelfth century or even earlier. Sunglasses | | | | musicians also began to wear sunglasses. They |
| were first made out of lenses that were flat | | | | started to become not only a way to protect |
| panes of smoky quartz. These types of | | | | against sun glare, but also a way to be |
| sunglasses could not correct vision, or | | | | "cool." Sunglasses became a cultural |
| protect from harmful UV rays, but did reduce | | | | phenomenon, and some people wore them even |
| glare. Chinese judges used the smoky quartz | | | | when it wasn't sunny, or when they were |
| glasses to hide their facial expressions when | | | | indoors. |
| they interrogated witnesses. | | | | |
| | | | Today, sunglasses continue to have advances. |
| Sunglasses did not undergo further changes | | | | UV protection has almost become an industry |
| until about the eighteenth century because of | | | | standard, and there are sunglasses available |
| the work of James Ayscough. He experimented | | | | for a variety of sports. There are numerous |
| with tinted lenses in spectacles. Ayscough | | | | tints available for sunglasses, and |
| was steadfast in the belief that glasses | | | | sunglasses have changed styles over the |
| tinted with a blue or green color could | | | | years. Prescription glasses have also been |
| potentially correct specific vision problems. | | | | given tints that only appear when the sun's |
| Ayscough was not concerned with protecting | | | | rays hit the glasses. In 2004, Oakley |
| the eyes from the suns rays. | | | | developed a brand of sunglasses that had a |
| | | | built-in digital audio player. Many blind |
| Sunglasses underwent the change into the | | | | people now wear sunglasses, and many |
| popular item they are today when Sam Foster | | | | recognizable celebrities can be found wearing |
| introduced them to America in 1929. These | | | | sunglasses. Even fictional characters can be |
| sunglasses were designed to protect people's | | | | seen wearing them. Sunglasses have come a |
| eyes from the sun. Foster sold his sunglasses | | | | long way from their early Roman and Chinese |
| on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey. | | | | history! |
| Foster's sunglasses were sold at Woolworth on | | | | |