Sunglasses seem to hold a magical power over those who wear them – they give off a very cool allure of mystery, power and attractive fascination. Whether fashion conscious, incognito celeb or loyal brand patron, sunglasses have a long history that evolves from tiny feats of engineering. Here are ten things you might not have known about sunglasses:

1: “The time has come,” the Walrus said…

The first sunglasses date back to the prehistoric Inuits who wore flattened walrus ivory specs, looking through narrow slits to block harmful rays of the sun, reflecting off the ice.

2: Nero’s Emerald world

Roman emperor Nero watched gladiators fighting through polished diamonds or emeralds, enjoying the image and colour distortion created by their lustrous facets. Hence, the concept of changing the vision through coloured lenses places these items as valid precursors of modern day sunglasses.

3. Chinese Poker Face

Smoky quartz was the material used for these glasses – which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare. Used in China in the 12th century, ancient documents describe the use of such crystal sunglasses by judges in Chinese courts to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses.

4.  Murano Glass

Italy is the birth place of UVA. The first glasses with UVA lenses were produced in Murano in Venice in the 18^th century. Known as “gondola glasses”, the shades were used by the nobility to shield their eyes from the reflection of the sun on the waters of the Lagoon.

 5. Amber tinted glasses for syphilis

James Ayscough was the first to start experimenting with tinted shades in the 18^th Century. Unlike the Italian version, these were actually corrective devices. James reckoned blue- or green-tinted glass could correct specific vision impairments. Yellow/amber and brown-tinted spectacles were prescribed to people with syphilis in the 19^th century as sensitivity to light was one of the symptoms of the disease.

6. 10 years in the making

Sam Foster started his sunglass company, Foster Grant in 1919, and sold the first ever modern and mass produced sunglasses in 1929 at the Woolworth on Atlantic City Boardwalk.

 7. Is polarized from Polaroid?

Polarized lenses (ever popular today) take their name from the Polaroid, and date back to 1936, when Edwin H. Land began experimenting with making lenses with his patented Polaroid filter.

8. Ray Ban: from the air force to pop culture

Ray Ban continues to manufacture the two most popular sunglasses in history; the green tinted aviators (once glass lenses), which were created in the early 1930s to protect pilots from the hazards of high-altitude glare. While in 1953 the Wayfarers, which were popularized by the likes of Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol are still the best selling style in history.

 9. Cat Eye or Round?

While sunglasses were originally marketed to men, the allure became increasingly more attractive to women. With the traditional sunglass makers starting to concentrate on the female portion of the market, statement, cat eye and other frame shapes became popular, leading to the large amount of choice we have today.

10. Where are my sunglasses?

It is reported that in the US, someone loses, breaks or sits on a pair of sunglasses every 14 minute – and I am sure that South Africans are no different. But buying a great new pair is so easy – and when you invest in a great pair, you tend to watch over them a little bit more. Check out Sunglass Hut Online to see their seductive ranges for both men and women.

[source: swide]