SunGlass Information
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
Macular Degeneration - A big name for a big problem
As we continue reduce the ozone layer the effects of UV rays on the mucus membranes continue to increase. Our parents didn’t think about SPF clothing or Sunscreen, they went out with oil in the hottest part of the day without another thought. People during thier time contracted Cancer and they’re deaths were described as “consumption” . The first sunglasses did little to protect the wearer and were more designed for fashion. And Sunscreen was not even a consideration.
Times have changed and now we know that UV rays can cause irreversible damage to both the skin and eyes. And we now have the technology to protect both. Experts suggest that we use Sunscreen with at least a SPF (sun protection factor) of 35 or more. And it has been proven that sunglasses without UV protection can lead to Macular Degeneration. So it is important to pick Sunglasses that have 100% AVA and AVB protection.
Better frames (often called Hand-Made Frames) are made from Cellulose Acetate or Zyl, as it is often called. This is the material the optical world recognizes as the finest and over 90% of it is produced in Italy by a company named Mazzuchelli or by its sister company in Hong Kong. Cellulose Acetate is derived from natural cotton and wood fibers and is subjected to a process of steaming, coloring, molding and cutting to achieve the necessary characteristics: translucency, shine, fluidity, subtlety and rich color patterns. Cellulose Acetate is used to make colors as simple as black or tortoise shell in hundreds of variations, to special colors like Lipstick Red, Lime Green or colors that change depending on the angle you see them from, and everything in between.
A Zyl frame is composed of two main parts: the front and the temples. The two parts are made separately and then assembled after each part has been completed and inspected. Creating an optical quality frame is a labor-intensive process that can be carried out only by highly trained technicians aided by technologically advanced equipment. Optical quality frames can be used for either sunglasses or fitted with prescription lenses. They are perfectly symmetrical and will not distort vision when fitted with ophthalmic lenses.
When Italian materials are used in designer frames it is made by pouring liquefied Cellulose Acetate, in colors chosen and mixed into large molds where they cool and then harden. More complex colorations are produced somewhat like a sandwich: several colors, in separate layers, and permanently bonded together. Some special colors are made up of up to 4 separate and distinct color layers. The possible color combinations of these “laminates” are endless. As the precess of making the glasses proceeds, the material is skived, or shaved away, exposing these different layers and creating stunning visual effects.
The frames are then “tumbled” with teakwood chips for as long as a week to make them smooth. The frame is then hand polished using a wax and emollient shining cream then buffed to a high luster.
A good designer spends a great amount of time designing temples that are comfortable to wear and that blend seamlessly with the front., while imparting a special flair to the glasses. Depending on the particular style, you will notice many different shapes and sizes of temples in different collection. The handmade process on the temples is as painstaking as that of the fronts because the temples are specially color designed to match he patterns on the front.
Nickel Silver wire temple cores and barrel hinges are inserted into the polished temples using an ultrasonic machine that shoots them into the temple at the proper angle. The wire core can be adjusted by you, or an optician, to comfortably fit each individual customer.
In this two-part Blog, I will discuss the three main ways that non-metal sunglass frames are made. In this part I will discuss the first two types Injection Molding and Advanced Materials. In the next part will be devoted to explaining Hand-Made frames.
The least expensive method is made by Injecting a mold created from aluminum or highly polished stainless steel with liquid plastic. This material is petroleum-based products that begins in bead form. To add color, they are spray-painted and then glass coated and tumbled for shine.
Recently materials like Grilamid TR-90 have been developed to answer the need for lightweight and durable frames that offer optical quality not typically associated with typical injection plastics. This new technology has made it possible to make great looking frames that can, in many cases accommodate prescription lenses. A new material, Grilamid TR-90, is a Swiss Nylon Polymer that is melted and then poured into optical quality stainless steel molds. fronts and temples are produced separately. Once removed from the molds, they are hand polished and assembled before the lenses are fitted. The temple tips and nose pieces of many Grilamid TR-90 frames are made from optical grade rubber to add comfort and prevent slippage during strenuous activity. The end result is a frame that is lightweight, yet extremely durable and flexible.
The Age of Polarization
While strolling down Broadway in 1926, Edwin Herbert Land was blinded by the headlights of an oncoming automobile. It occurred to him that there must be away to develop a polarizing sheet that would reduce glare from light. He was attending Harvard University as a freshman when he first had his revelation about the polarizing process. He left Harvard and moved to New York, working secretly at night in a laboratory at Columbia University. In 1929 Land returned to Harvard, this time with his wife, Helen. Although Land would never graduate, he had already developed the first synthetic sheet polarizer by trapping tiny crystals in a thin sheet. By 1932 the sheet was actually being produced and would be used to make camera lens filters and polarizing sunglasses that cut glare from the sun. With the backing of Wall Street tycoons James P.Warburg, Averell Harriman (1891-1986) and Lewis Strauss, Land founded the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. One of the company’s first projects was to persuade Detroit’s automobile industry to install polarizing sheets in the headlamps and windshields of all its vehicles. Although Land was never able to sell his ideas to automobile manufacturers, he went on to discover many more uses for his invention.
By the 1940s, the Polaroid Corporation was making its contribution to the United States war effort. Servicemen who fought in World War II reaped the benefits of Land’s inventions that resulted in polarizers for rangefinders and . The development of infrared viewers also aided night vision. By 1945 the Polaroid Corporation received millions of dollars in government contracts to develop military optics, and sales increased from the original $142,000 to $17 million.
Sam Foster is widely recognised as the creator of the modern day Sunglasses. His company, Foster Grant was started in 1919 producing Ladies hair accessories. Then in 1929 he began selling his glasses at Woolworth’s on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. By 1934 they introduced injection molding enabling Foster Grant to grow from a regoinal company to a national one.
In the 1930s, the Army Air Corps commissioned the optical firm of Bausch & Lomb to produce a highly effective spectacle that would protect pilots from the dangers of high-altitude glare. Company physicists and opticians perfected a special dark-green tint that absorbed light in the yellow band of the spectrum.
With World War II brewing in 1936, Ray Ban (a Baush & Lomb Company) designed anti-glare aviator style sunglasses, using polarized lens technology newly created by Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation.
They also designed a slightly drooping frame perimeter to maximally shield an aviator’s eyes, which repeatedly glanced downward toward a plane’s instrument panel. Fliers were issued the glasses at no charge, and the public in 1937 was able to purchase the model that banned the sun’s rays as Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses.
Smoke-tinted lenses came to serve also as sunglasses, but that was never their primary function. And around 1430, when vision-correcting eyeglasses were introduced into China from Italy, they, too, were darkened, though mainly for judicial use.
James Ayscough, an English designer known for his primarily for this work with microscopes began early experimentation with tinted glass.
From 1743 to 1747 he was apprenticed to an optician named James Mann. Together they ran a shop called “The Golden Spectacles” in London. During this time he began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles. These were not “sunglasses” as such; Ayscough believed blue- or green-tinted glass could correct for specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun’s rays was not a concern of his.
It might surprise you to find out that sunglasses weren’t originally invented to shield eyes from the sun. Although it’s unclear who came up with the first pair, both the Romans and ancient Chinese used a type of sunglasses for very different reasons.
It has been reported that the Roman Emperor Nero enjoyed watching gladiator fights through polished gems. These glasses did not correct vision or offer protection but they did reduce glare. The Chinese used smokey quartz lens to hide their facial expresions as they interogated witnesses.
When it comes to fashion, it’s all about the accessories. And with the sun making more frequent appearances this time of year, one of those accessories that we’ll be seeing more and more of are sunglasses. Ever since Jackie Kennedy, the glamorous first lady, wore her patented oversized glasses in public, they have been popular with the public. Especially in the past five years, however, these “Jackie O” glasses can be seen on just about every fashion conscious female.
But not many people consider the origin of these sunglasses. Jackie Kennedy was an extremely private person, and this was made complicated by the fact that she was married to the president, who is arguably the most visible and well known man alive. In order to maintain her anonymity (and fashion sense), Jackie would sport oversized sunglasses. Masking much of her face, it was difficult to tell whether it was actually her or just a lookalike. And celebrities today are using the same technique. Sick of trying to evade the paparazzi, starlets will sport everything from oversized shades to baseball caps to evade notice and gain a little privacy.
In the early 1900s, the use of sunglasses started to become more widespread, especially among the pioneering stars of silent movies. It is commonly believed that this was to avoid recognition by fans, but the real reason was they often had perennially red eyes from the powerful arc lamps that were needed due to the extremely slow speed film stocks used. The stereotype persisted long after improvements in film quality and the introduction of ultraviolet filters had eliminated this problem. Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk.
Sunglasses first became polarized in 1936, when Edwin H. Land began experimenting with making lenses with his patented Polaroid filter. Since then, polarized lenses have evolved, whereby new substrates and lens technology processes offer consumers better clarity, protection and comfort.