Many inventions have changed the way that people all over the
world live. One invention that has helped people with bad eyesight is
eyeglasses. The eyeglasses help people who are farsighted and
nearsighted. Originally, eyeglasses were invented for one person, but
grew to helping millions of people all over the world. (Watson 12)
When people hear the world eyeglasses, they usually think that
the inventor was Benjamin Franklin. Contrary to belief, Benjamin
Franklin did not invent eyeglasses. He invented bifocals, a different
form of eyeglasses, which consisted of two different lenses. (Watson
12) The inventor of eyeglasses is not known. The best known case of
eyeglasses is that of Emperor Nero, who used to watch performances
in the arena holding in front of one eye, a jewel with curved
facets.(Watson 14) A person by the name of Edward Rosen has other
beliefs though. He believes that around the time period of 1820 that the
inventor was probably a glazier who made ornaments and glass discs
Another story about how eyeglasses were invented is about a
man named Seneca who was a first-century Roman leader. He was
able to read, but had very poor eyesight. He supposedly came up with
an idea to look through a jar filled with water while he was reading.
The jar magnified the words on the page. (Watson 14)
The stories keep going on and on. Supposedly an Italian writer
knew about "spectacles," another name for glasses. Also, a monk is
believed to have known the man who invented eyeglasses. (Watson
14-15) As one can see, there is no evidence that supports who really
invented eyeglasses. As long as no evidence is found, the world can
not rightfully credit one person with this magnificent invention. The
true origin of eyeglasses remains a mystery.
Although we do not know who invented eyeglasses, we know
how and what eyeglasses were made of. Early spectacles...