From Benjamin Franklin to Rimless Bifocal Sunglasses

The American gentleman of scientific discipline, Benjamin Franklin, who endured both nearsightedness as well as presbyopia, invented bifocals in 1784 to avoid having to often alternate between 2 frames of eyeglasses.

The first lenses intended for repairing astigmia were distributed by the British stargazer George Airy within the year 1825.

In the history of bifocals, the development of pectacle frames also evolved. Early on oculars were contrived to be either kept in place with your hand or by maintaining force on the bridge of the nose. Girolamo Savonarola advised that oculars could be held in place with a ribbon placed over a person's head, which in turn was held secure by the weight of one's hat.

Entering modern bifocal history, the contemporary fashion of bifocals supported by temples passing over the ears, was produced in 1727 by the British lens maker Edward Scarlett. These designs were not at once prosperous, however, and assorted styles with attached handles like "scissors-glasses" and lorgnettes stayed fashionable throughout the eighteenth and into the early nineteenth century.

In the early 20th century, Moritz von Rohr at Zeiss produced the Zeiss Punktal spherical point-focus lens system which dominated the eyeglass lens domain for many years.

Despite the rising fame of contacts and laser restorative eye surgery, spectacles stay quite popular, as their engineering has continued to evolve. For example, it's currently possible to buy frames constituted of special memory metal alloys that return to their correct configuration after being bent. Other frames have spring-loaded hinges.

Glasses have come a long way, haven't they? In fact, today you can even buy bifocal sunglasses.

Most of these modern contraptions are also distinctly better capable of resisting the stresses of day-to-day wear and tear as well as the occasional accident. Contemporary frames are likewise ofttimes constructed from solid, light-weight materials like titanium alloys which weren't obtainable in earlier years.