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Jan 1, 1268
The History of Eyeglasses
A simple historical timeline of eyeglasses starts with their invention, believed to be between 1268 and 1289 in Italy -
Important Eyeglasses
In the 1700s, eyeglasses were made by hand. The century's most important contributions to eyeglasses were the invention of side or temple pieces that rest over the ear (first advertised in 1728) and bifocals, invented by Benjamin Franklin, in 1784. -
Bifocals Eyegalsses
Bifocalsbifocal was an extremely important invention in the history of eyeglasses. -
French Manufacturer
In 1830, a French manufacturer designed a hinged bridge with a spring, which allowed the eyeglasses to be folded. Lorgnettes became so popular during the mid to late 1800s that manufacturers placed them into all manner of objects including mechanical pencils, fans and even an ear trumpet. -
Fashion Eyeglasses
The 1900s saw eyeglasses become an industry of their own, complete with manufacturing and distribution networks. Styles quickly changed in this century as Hollywood and celebrities began to influence fashion and new materials became available, especially plastics. -
Popular Eyeglasses
As the 19th Century came to a close, more and more people wore their eyeglasses everyday. A popular style of inexpensive, everyday spectacles was the pince-nez. French for "pinch nose," the pince-nez was first developed in France circa 1840 and began to be imported to America after the 1850s. -
Eyeglasses Today
By the latter half of the 20th century, spectacles were considered part of a person's wardrobe. Similar to clothes, eyeglasses needed to be continually updated or a person could be perceived as old-fashioned. More and more celebrities were influencing spectacle fashion, for example, in the 1970s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis helped to popularize oversized lenses.
