Figure 1.--This cabinet portrait shows a stylishly dressd New York boy. He is wearing prinz-nez glassess, nit very common for boys. The portrait was taken by Smith & Hardy. The boy is unidentified. He looks to be about 12 years old. He wears a knee pants suit with a large tie. Note the derby hat he is wearing and the eye glasses. Portraits of boys wearing glasses are not all thar common in the 19th century. The portrait is not dates, but we would guess the late-1880s. Note the fashionable Japanese pannel.

Medieval Europeans began using what they called "reading stones" (11th century AD). This was a primitive magnifying glass. It was a arched piece of glass that was laid flat on a page and magnified the writing. As reading at the time was primarily a church function. It is probable that it was develooed and used by monks. As far as we know, this was presumably the first optical reading aide. The Venetians were known for their glass work. Thus it is no surprise that they produced the first glass for reading stones as well as the earliest lenses used as reading aides. The Venetian lenses were set in frames and thus for the first time lens were heald in front of the eyes rather than laid down on the page. The first known eye glasses or spectacles with corrective lenses appearwd in late-medieval Europe. The actual inventor of eye glasses and just when is lost to history. We note Roger Bacon abd other authors describing spectacles (13th century). And we see artistic representations (14th century). These early desriptions and artistuc representations deal with magnification and for elderly men, not women and children). We are not yet sure when the first child is depicted wearing glasses. As far as we can tell, large numbers of children did not begin wearing eyeglasses until the late-19th century. We do not think that eye problems have become more common. Rather we think that both family affluence and medical science have improved. We think the primary reason for this is that rising income levels meant that parents could afford to purchases glasses for te firsrt time. Also glasses became important as school became increasingly important for children. By the 19th century most children in Europe and North America were receiving at least a basic primary education. Beginning about the 1970s, contact lessons becm to become popular. We are not entirely surewhat age was seen as appropriate for contacts.

The 11th Century

Medieval Europeans began using what they called "reading stones" (11th century AD). This was a primitive magnifying glass. It was a arched piece of glass that was laid flat on a page and magnified the writing. As reading at the time was primarily a church function. It is probable that it was develooed and used by monks. As far as we know, this was presumably the first optical reading aide.

The 12th Century

The Venetians were known for their glass work. Thus it is no surprise that they produced the first glass for reading stones as well as the earliest lenses used as reading aides. The Venetian lenses were set in frames and thus for the first time lens were heald in front of the eyes rather than laid down on the page. The first known eye glasses or spectacles with corrective lenses appearwd in late-medieval Europe.

The 13th Century

The actual inventor of eye glasses and just when is lost to history. We note Roger Bacon and other authors describing spectacles (13th century).

The 14th Century

And we see artistic representations (14th century). These early desriptions and artistuc representations deal with magnification and for elderly men, not women and children).

The 15th Century

The 16th Century

Advances in optics led to major sciebtific advances. Gaileo used the telescope to make observations about the solar system that definitively proved that the sun and other planets did not revolve around the sun. This of course got him in trouble with the Catholic Church. The advances with optics also meant that more effective eye glasses were possible.

The 17th Century

One of the greatest scientific minds of all time addressed the subject of optics. Newton's first work as Lucasian Professor was on optics. Scientists for nearly two millenia accepted Aristotle's views that light was a single substance. Newton as a result of his practical experience building telescopes reached aa different conclusion. He noted colored rings at the edges of lenses when viewing through his microspoces. He invented the reflecting telescope to minimize the colored rings. He finally proved that white light was composed of a spectrum of colors when he began working with prisms. Thus by the 16th century, Europeans were acquiring a sophisticated understanding of optics.

The 18th Century

A major development in the 18th century was Benjamin Franklin's invebtion of the bi-focals.

The 19th Century

We are not yet sure when the first child is depicted wearing glasses. As far as we can tell, large numbers of children did not begin wearing eyeglasses until the late-19th century. We do not think that eye problems have become more common. Rather we think that both family affluence and medical science have improved. We think the primary reason for this is that rising income levels meant that parents could afford to purchases glasses for te firsrt time. Also glasses became important as school became increasingly important for children. By the 19th century most children in Europe and North America were receiving at least a basic primary education.

The 20th Century

We see more children wearing glasses in the 20th century as well as major changes in the styling of frames. The increasing importance of school and rising income levels sustaining improved health care were probably the major factors. Children's vision problems became much more apparent when they began school and started to read. And most parents in the 20th century could afford glassess. The development of national health programs took the economic factor out of the equation in many countries. Children's eye glasses continued to be very plain and gender neutral in the first half of the 20th century. Wire frame glasses were the most common style. This did not change until after World War II and the change came very quickly. By the 1950s we see both destinctive gender styles and amoce away from plain wire frame glasses. Beginning about the 1970s, contact lessons becm to become popular. We are not entirely surewhat age was seen as appropriate for contacts. Children breaking their glassess was a problem during much of the children. This problem was partially solved with the development of plastic lenses.

Created: 2:23 AM 9/17/2008
Last updated: 11:17 PM 10/20/2008