Invention of the Eyeglasses

The first pair of eyeglasses is invented in Italy. The earliest eyeglasses design was often balanced on the nose or held in front of eyes. The design used principles from Alhazen's Book of Optics, after its translation from Arabic into Latin in the 12th century. Within two decades of their invention, Venice had created guild regulations for the creation and sale of eyeglasses in order to manage the product. Eyeglasses instantly popular, and became more popular after the invention of the printing press in 1452. Image is the "The Glasses of Apostle" by Conrad von Soest and is from Wikimedia.

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

circa. 1286