About the History of Ray-Ban Sunglasses
About Ray-Ban Sunglasses
Every pair comes with a little bit of History!
Ray Ban Sunglasses have a long and interesting history and have been leading innovators in optical eyewear and fashion sunglasses. Ray-Bans were born from necessity and have grown into an iconic cultural symbol. Ray Ban Sunglasses and their glasses have always been the leading edge of fashion,sports and outdoor protective eye wear. The Ray-Ban signature original wayfarer and large and small aviator sunglasses models have lasted for decades in the fashion marketplace. RayBan glasses are tops in lens and black frame technology.
On May 7, 1937, Bausch & Lomb officially registered their first patent on the Ray Ban Aviators that have now become synonymous with fame, fortune, good taste and leading edge technology. However, this company's rise in prestige and reputation all began with a simple need for eyewear which would provide eye protection from the brightness of the sun for military pilots as their early cockpits provided little optical protection from the bright light hazards which are magnified at high altitudes. This required the development of special frame and lens technology and was historically, way before the gradient and polarized lens and lightweight composite frame materials which are standard in modern sunglasses.These requirements led to the creation of the Ray Ban Sunglasses Brand and Trademark.
In the late 1930s, the United States Army Air Corp had put out a request to eyeglass manufacturers to design sunglasses that could protect pilots' vision against damage due to extended exposure to ultraviolet and glare from sunny skies while still offering a design that was compatible with the military's uniform regulations and apparel. After a bidding competition , Bausch & Lomb was awarded the contract and launched production of the Ray Ban Aviator small model. Though many have mistakenly assumed Ray Ban was the company's name, it is in fact a brand name that was produced by Bausch & Lomb from 1937 to 1999 until it was sold to the Luxottica Group for $640 million.
Ray Ban Aviators were the thinnest and lightest metal framed glasses of their time. The gold plating added the look that the Army sought, while the green glass lenses offered the first major step in ultra-violet eye protection. To this day, Aviators are synonymous with the Ray Ban brand but they have also come to represent an entire type of sunglasses. The Aviator Model is now produced by many different manufacturers but Ray Ban Sunglasses is still the premier supplier. Ray Ban provides designer eyewear to the armed forces!
Ray Bans Sunglasses were truly unique and were worn by members of the armed forces during the 1930s and through the dark early days of World War II. The famed rare print photograph of General Douglas MacArthur's victorious arrival in the Far East while wearing a pair of classic aviator sunglasses, instantly established Ray Bans as a symbol of victory to the war weary, general public.
The early success and widespread adoption of the green lens gold frame Aviator sunglasses lead to the advancement and expansion of the Ray-Ban brand and in 1952 led to the introduction of the original Wayfarer design to the commercial market. These wide plastic black framed sunglasses were originally designed for men, but the immediate adoption of them by Hollywood film actors and actresses created a real fashion trend which were adopted by women of that era. Both the socially elite and the social rebels of the time embraced the style set forth by the black-framed green glassed iconic plastic sunglasses that have since been associated with high fashion.At the same time, silver, green and blue lens aviator sunglasses were continuing to improve the success of the Aviator, Ray Ban Sunglasses model.
Since the 1950s, the continued success of Ray Ban sunglasses has been attributed to their popularity with stars and trendsetters like John Belushi, James Dean, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan. Mavens like Debbie Harry, the Ramones and Morrissey did continue to fuel an underground demand for these sunglasses through the 70s and 80s. Michael Jackson, Madonna and others have steadily inspired the pop-music world's love for Wayfarer Ray Bans, but in the 1990s Ray Ban sales dropped as the popularity of wrap-around styled sports sunglasses increased. Ray Ban successfully stopped it's decline by creating by creating deals with the large movie industry production companies which featured Ray Ban Wayfarer and Aviator glasses in popular movies, the sunglasses being worn by many top Hollywood stars.
Today, the Ray Ban brand is stronger than ever, bouncing back into vogue in the 2000s to prove that the demand for the Aviator Large, Aviator Small, New Wayfarer and Original Wayfarer designs and newer models continue to increase and provide their customer with superior lens and frame technology.
