How and when were glasses invented – A beautiful story that begins in the Middle Ages
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When were glasses invented – The invention of spectacles is in the Middle Ages but it is difficult to date it precisely . Similarly, the inventor is not clearly identified.
Eyeglasses in leather, 16th century ©museum of the glasses, Morez-France- Pierre Marly/photo. Studio Vision
Yet vision problems mentioned by Aristotle in his book Problemata and the refractive power of some transparent stones were known much earlier.
Since ancient times , glasses are polished to converge the sun’s rays at a point which generates heat and burns the target area.
When it comes to the question when were glasses invented then it is commonly accepted that the first glasses appeared in the 13th century.
The time when were glasses invented it does not look like the ones we wear today . It consist of two glasses (convex ) embedded round in circles individually attached to the strings interconnected by means of a nail , it was the nailing spectacles .
Concave lenses were appeared only in 15th century.
Wood , horn , tortoiseshell and ribbon …
Unlike many products , it does not have an immediate boom when were glasses invented. These spectacles made of wood , horn or leather and correcting the near vision, are mostly used by monks copyists .
The spectacles made with noble materials such as wood, tortoiseshell , bone, ivory are then a sign of erudition , they are reserved to the bourgeoisie.
When were glasses invented as we wear today
The glasses still experiencing an evolution. They will be equipped with a ribbon tied behind the head and then in 1752 an English optician invents and patents the branches as we know them today , are the glasses temples. They need this name to the fact that the branches are very short and stop at the temples .
The glasses without branches still remain fashionable in the bourgeoisie with monocles in the 16th century, the 18th century binoculars and hand sides in the 19th century , all richly decorated .
