A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPECTACLES

Spectacles were first used as an aid to vision around the beginning of the fourteenth century. The correction of defective sight became more important with the development of printing and the demand for spectacles increased as more people learned to read and write. However there was no scientific method of testing sight or vision. Spectacles were simply sold by haberdashers or pedlars at fairs or door to door and people simply tried them on and chose the ones that seemed to suit them best.

      

Spectacle making gradually became a recognised craft and in 1629 King Charles 1 granted a Royal Charter to the guild which went on to become the Worshipful Company of spectacle Makers, conferring the authority to laws for the control of the craft.

Scientific methods of sight testing led to the realisation that sight defects were more complex than was previously thought and methods of making lenses to correct specific eye defects were developed. It was not until 1896 however, that the first examination was held to test the knowledge of those who intended to practise as ophthalmic opticians (optometrists).