The history of glasses began just over 700 years ago in Italy: at the end of the 13th century, craftsmen there set two ground lenses into a frame for the first time. Here you will find out when and where glasses were invented, what people used before and how the different types of spectacles developed into the glasses we know today. A timeline further down sums it all up.
Key points at a glance
- The first glasses in history were made in Italy at the end of the 13th century. Nobody knows who invented them.
- Before that, people used reading stones made of rock crystal or beryl, which they placed on the text. The German word for glasses, “Brille”, comes from beryl.
- The first spectacles were rivet spectacles without arms. Frames with side arms only caught on in the 18th century.
- Contact lenses, plastic frames and plastic lenses came later. Today, glasses are also a fashion accessory.
Before glasses: the history of optical lenses
There were no glasses in ancient times. If your eyesight got worse, you had texts read aloud to you or simply lived with it. Ancient writers did know, however, that a glass globe filled with water makes writing look larger. The Roman scholar Pliny also reports that Emperor Nero watched gladiator fights through an emerald. Whether the green stone actually helped him see is disputed.
Knowledge about light also grew over time. Around 150 AD, the Greek scholar Ptolemy studied the refraction of light. In the 11th century, the Arab mathematician and astronomer Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham) described in his “Book of Optics” how vision, reflection and refraction are connected. His work was translated into Latin and shaped optics in medieval Europe.
Reading stones: the magnifying glass of the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, monks in particular read with the help of reading stones. These were pieces of rock crystal or beryl ground into a dome shape and placed directly on the manuscript, so the letters underneath looked bigger. In 1267, the English Franciscan friar Roger Bacon described how small letters could be magnified with suitably ground lenses.
When were glasses invented? The first glasses in history
The first glasses were made at the end of the 13th century in Italy. The decisive step: instead of moving a lens across the text, two ground lenses were set in frames and held in front of the eyes. So glasses have been around for just over 700 years. From Italy, the invention spread quickly across Europe.
Where were glasses invented?
Italy is considered the birthplace of glasses, although the exact place is not certain. Venice and its glassmaking island of Murano are often mentioned. The Venetian glassworks could produce particularly clear glass, which was needed for spectacle lenses. Shortly after the invention, Venice already had its first rules for making them.
Who invented glasses?
Nobody knows. The inventor of glasses was not recorded; it was probably a craftsman who ground glass or rock crystal. Names that were later put forward as the inventor are not reliably documented.
When were prescription glasses invented?
Right at the start. Even the first glasses had lenses that curve outwards (convex). They allowed people who could no longer see clearly up close to read again. Lenses for short-sighted people, which curve inwards (concave), came later, probably in the 15th century. Around the same time, the printing press made demand for glasses grow.
The theory followed in the early 17th century: the Dutch scholar Snellius (1581–1626) described the law of refraction, which is still a basis for calculating spectacle lenses today.
History of spectacles: how types of glasses changed
Rivet spectacles: two lenses, one rivet
The first glasses were rivet spectacles. Two framed lenses, each with a handle, were joined at the ends of the handles with a rivet. The frames were made of wood, horn or iron. You held rivet spectacles in front of your eyes or perched them on your nose. There were no arms yet.
Bow spectacles and Nuremberg wire spectacles
Later came frames made of a single piece, with a curved bow over the nose connecting the lenses. Wealthy citizens and nobles had them made of bronze or iron. In Spain, large spectacles even became a status symbol, and a leather nose bridge made them more comfortable. In Nuremberg, an early centre of spectacle making, glasses were made from a single bent wire, so they could be produced in large numbers.
Glasses in the 18th century: finally with arms
For a long time, the biggest problem was keeping glasses on your head: they slipped off the nose or pinched uncomfortably. Only in the 18th century did glasses with side arms resting against the head catch on. This was the basic form of today’s glasses. Bifocals date from the same period; Benjamin Franklin is credited with inventing them.
Monocle, scissor glasses and pince-nez
Around 1800, single-lens glasses became fashionable. The monocle was not worn on the nose but held in place by the muscles around the eye. It was particularly popular in high society in Germany and England. In France, people preferred scissor glasses, which were held in front of the eyes by a handle and could quickly be put away. In the 19th century came the pince-nez, glasses without arms that clip onto the nose with a spring.
Contact lenses and plastic: eyeglasses in the 20th century
The first contact lenses were made at the end of the 19th century. They were made of glass and worn directly on the eye. Soft contact lenses only arrived in the second half of the 20th century. You can find out more in Contact Lenses – See Clearly Without Glasses.
Glasses themselves changed too. In the 20th century, frames made of plastics such as acetate appeared and made new shapes and colours possible. From the middle of the century, plastic lenses followed. They are lighter and less likely to break than glass, and today most spectacle lenses are made of plastic.
History of glasses: timeline and summary
The key stages in the history of eyeglasses at a glance:
| When | Development |
|---|---|
| Antiquity | No glasses yet. Ancient writers describe how a glass globe filled with water makes writing look larger. |
| around 150 AD | Ptolemy studies the refraction of light. |
| 11th century | Alhazen describes vision, reflection and refraction in his “Book of Optics”. |
| Middle Ages | Monks read with reading stones made of rock crystal or beryl. |
| 1267 | Roger Bacon describes magnification with ground lenses. |
| late 13th century | The first glasses appear in Italy: rivet spectacles with convex lenses for reading. |
| probably 15th century | Lenses for short-sighted people; the printing press boosts demand. |
| late Middle Ages and early modern period | One-piece bow spectacles, large spectacles in Spain, Nuremberg wire spectacles. |
| early 17th century | Snellius describes the law of refraction. |
| 18th century | Glasses with side arms catch on, followed by bifocals. |
| around 1800 | The monocle and scissor glasses are in fashion. |
| 19th century | The pince-nez appears; towards the end, the first glass contact lenses. |
| 20th century | Plastic frames and lenses, soft contact lenses. |
| today | Glasses in almost every shape, colour and material, also as a fashion accessory. |
Glasses today: from necessary evil to fashion accessory
For a long time, glasses were seen as a necessary evil. Today, they come in almost every shape, colour and material, and many people wear them as a deliberate style statement. Some shapes recall their ancestors: round metal frames echo the earliest glasses, while bold plastic frames pick up 20th-century fashion.
To find out which shape suits your face, read Which glasses frames suit my shape of face?. Which lenses you need is determined by an eye test at an optician or ophthalmologist. You can find current glasses here:
Oakley CENTERBOARD (OX8163 816303)£63.52Oakley PITCHMAN R CARBON (OX8149 814902)£94.45Ray-Ban Erika (RX7046 5365)£60.29Oakley HSTN RX (OX8139 813905)£72.71Oakley PITCHMAN R CARBON (OX8149 814903)£95.62Oakley PITCHMAN R (OX8105 810501)£80.64Oakley CENTERBOARD (OX8163 816301)£65.38Tom Ford FT5294 052£160.26FAQ: the history of eyeglasses
Where does the word “spectacles” come from?
It goes back to the Latin spectare, “to look at”. The German word for glasses, “Brille”, on the other hand, comes from beryl, the mineral used for reading stones and early lenses.
What did old glasses look like?
The first glasses had round lenses in frames made of wood, horn or iron and no arms. They were held in front of the eyes or clipped onto the nose. Side arms as we know them have only existed since the 18th century.
