Ray Ban sunglasses turned 70 years old in 2007 as they began manufacturing in 1937. Bausch + Lomb originally founded the company. In 1999 they sold the popular brand for about 640 million dollars to the Italian Luxottica Group.
Early in 1937 Lieutenant John MacCready took a hot air balloon trip and complained that his eyes had been permanently damaged by the sun while on the trip. He got in touch with the Bausch + Lomb company and asked them if they could create a type of sunglasses that would not only protect his eyes from harmful UV rays, but also would have a classy look. By May 7, 1937 Bausch + Lomb had secured the patent.
The company’s first line of sunglasses was called “Anti-Glare” and had a very light weight frame for that day. The frames weighed in at only 150 grams. They made the frames of gold-plated metal. The lenses were green and were made of mineral glass that filtered out both infrared and UV rays. The US Army Air Corps picked up the design and immediately began issuing them to their pilots for protection of their eyes while flying. The Ray Ban Aviator rose in popularity when General Douglas MacArthur was photographed wearing them when he landed in the Philippines in World War II.
The company has several types of lenses which serve various purposes. The B-15 lens helps retain clarity and comfort. These lenses block so called blue light so that it is easier to see for driving and playing sports while continuing to protect the eyes.
The G-15 lenses help to reduce squinting and thus eyestrain. This type of lens transmits colors equally by keeping their present values. This makes the wearer much more comfortable and doesn’t cause squinting to try to see properly.
Still another type of lenses is called Light Adaptive. This category of lens is designed to adapt to various light conditions. They adjust to whatever type of light is present. This changing technology causes the lens to turn dark when exposed to direct sunlight and then go back to clear when there is lower lighting.
Many Ray Ban lenses are now polarized which basically means that they are able to eliminate glare from various sources. For instance, chrome and water can present a terrible glare. This specialty lens helps to dissimilate it so that it does not have a negative effect on the wearer. These types of lenses help to protect the eyes from blue light also. They are one of the more popular types of lenses as they are resistant to scratches. They also help to retain clarity while protecting from the sun’s rays.
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