LIFE OF GLASS SPECTICLES BY, RYAN ROCHA & MAX VOSKAMP

BACKGROUND AROUND 1284 IN ITALY, SALVINO D’ARMATE IS CREDITED WITH INVENTING THE FIRST WEARABLE EYE GLASSES. THE EARLIEST PICTORIAL EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF EYEGLASSES, HOWEVER, IS TOMASO DE MODENA’S 1352 PORTRAIT OF THE CARDINAL HUGH DE PROVENCE READING IN A SCRIPTORIUM. IN THE EARLY YEARS GLASSES WERE ORIGINALLY MADE FROM A PIECE OF GLASS THAT WAS SPHERICAL ON ONE SIDE AND FLAT ON ANOTHER. LATER CONVEX AND CONCAVE LENSES WERE INVENTED IN WHICH THE GLASS IS BENDED TO FIT YOUR VISION. THE FRAMES HAVE CHANGED STYLE AS THE YEARS PAST AND TRENDS CHANGED.

HOW THEY WORK FOR NEARSIGHTEDNESS, GLASSES CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF THE EYE BALL BEING TOO LONG TO FOCUS UPON FAR AWAY IMAGES PROJECTED ONTO THE RETINA. THE GLASSES OFFER A CONCAVE LENSE THAT BENDS LIGHT RAYS OUTWARD, WHICH NORMALIZES THE VISION. IN FARSIGHTEDNESS THE EYBALL IS TOO SHORT TO FOCUS UPON NEAR OBJECTS. GLASSES USE A CONVEX LENSE TO BEND THE LIGHT INWARD BEFORE IT REACHES THE EYE THEREBY CORRECTING VISION.

RAISE & EXTRACT THERE ARE TWO MAIN COMPONENTS OF CREATING EYE GLASSES. SILICA, OR QUARTZ SAND, IS EXTRACTED IN MINES IN MOST OF THE WORLD. THE SECOND COMPONENT IS LATHANUM OXIDE. LATHANUM OXIDE IS A CHEMICAL COMPOUND CONTAINNG OXYGEN AND THE VERY RARE EARTH ELEMENT, LANTHANUM, THAT IS EXTRACTED IN VERY FEW MINES AROUND THE WORLD.

PROCESS GLASS IS PRODUCED THROUGH A PROCESS OF MELTING TOGETHER THE ELEMENTS KNOWN AS SILICA AND LITHINUM OXIDE. ONCE THE GLASS IS CREATED IT IS BENT INTO A CONVEX OR CONCAVE LENSES TO SUIT YOUR VISION. THE FRAME IS SIMPLY MADE FROM MELTED METAL POURED INTO IN A MOLD.

MANUFACTURE ONCE CREATED THE FRAMES ARE SENT TO THE VARIOUS STORES FOR PURCHASE. ONCE A CLIENT CHOOSES HIS OR HER FAVORITE FRAME THEN THE PERSCIRPTION IS GIVEN TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER THEN CREATES THE LENSES THAT SUIT THE CLIENTS VISION AND INSETS IT INTO THE FRAME CHOSEN.

USE PERSCRIPTION GLASSES ARE USED TO IMPROVE AN INDIVIDUALS VISION. PEOPLE WHO CANNOT SEE AT A DISTANCE ARE NEARSIGHTED AND USE CONVEX LENSES WHERE AS FARSIGHTED PEOPLE CANNOT SEE NEAR AND USE CONCAVE LENSES.

DISPOSE GLASS AND METAL FRAMES ARE SOMETIMES DISPOESED OF INPROPERLY BY BEING PLACED IN LANDFILLS. THE PROPER WAY TO DISPOSE OF GLASSES IS THROUGH RECYCLING. THE GLASS AND METAL CAN BE RE-MELTED AND USED IN VARIOUS PRODUCTS OR OTHER PAIRS OF GLASSES.