by Danna Martínez
They rest on the nose and ears, and they usually have two crystals and three pills. Glasses have long been a product used all over the world. More than a novelty, for some, it is a necessity. In one way or another, glasses have gained fame.
Eyeglasses, also known as lenses or spectacles, are optical instruments. This element is used to favor the vision of those who use them.
Al-Haytam, also called Alhacen, formulated the theoretical bases of optics. Alhacen contributed the idea of a reading function lens, a prototype of a magnifying glass. Around the year 1286, the monk Alessandro della Spina manufactured a model of glasses that was previously devised but not popularized.
According to records, the earliest eyeglass manufacturers used quartz and glass for the composition of the lenses.
The invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century increased the percentage of reading in the population. This event created a significant demand for glasses. At that time, the lenses of the glasses were suitable for distant vision. In the same way, they were helpful in tasks such as writing.
The problem, then, lay in the way of wearing the glasses everywhere, at all times. It was for this need that the human being designed a lens holder. According to NatGeo, “hats were proposed with wires from which the glasses hung or a leather band that held the lenses around the head.” However, they came up with the ideal design.
Taking advantage of the head’s characteristics, the manufacturers considered it appropriate to place one tablet on each lens and another in the middle. In this way, the tablets would hold the lenses, and the ears and nose would retain the pills. At the time, these pads were constructed of rudimentary materials such as iron and steel. Years later, the resin was used, and today, titanium or aluminum is used. This is how the model of glasses that we know today was created.
Over time, the production of spectacles increased, as did their adaptation to human needs. Glasses have become a daily and necessary product for people with visual difficulties. Also, manufacturers have sought to make glasses a light, practical, and easy to carry product.
Currently, there are different types of glasses—each one with a different purpose. There are glasses that correct vision problems, be it myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. We also know sunglasses, which regulate the light that enters our eyes, protecting them. There are even special glasses for sports activities. The use of this product has gone beyond a simple necessity. Some have even linked the wearing of glasses to a person’s intelligence. In addition, glasses have become popular as a fashion accessory.
While glasses have become a primary solution for vision problems, scientific advancement has allowed the creation of other methods such as contact lenses and surgeries.
“Life is fascinating: you just have to look at it through the right glasses.” -Alexander Dumas.
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