Glasses: A Brief History of Vision Correction

The quest for perfect vision has a long history, and numerous advancements were required to provide the range of products and services that today help millions of people keep the world in focus. The history of vision correction deserves to be remembered.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar:
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #glasses

[@christian-michaelhansen471]

At 9 yrs old, my mother realized that I needed glasses. I was squinting to watch TV. My eye exam diagnosis concluded that, in addition to being nearsighted, I had a condition called Keraticonis. It meant that my corneas were slowly eroding around the edges and I could expect to be legally blind by 18 or 19. At the time, the only outlook (no pun intended) was that I would need specifically created contact lenses that would ease the pebbly effect around the edges of my corneas. The disease is called binocular, meaning I had it in both eyes. At 25, the eye doctor was right, I was legally blind...in one eye. The other eye was simply near-sighted with a touch of Astigmatism. Thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, a solution had been found. I underwent a cornea transplant in 2000 that gave me back the sight in my right eye. I thank the Doctors thru history who made such a miracle possible. I also thank the young victim of a motorcycle accident for the cornea I received. Definitely history that deserves to be remembered.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

Very good. We need to hear more gratitude. Inasmuch as these treatments were given to us I would thank God too. Can YOU see that?

[@pillager6190]

@Alfred Simon I care. Likely not How you want, but I care.

[@VegemiteQueen1]

My step mum noticed me squinting at the TV and... told me to stop, because I would get wrinkles. Didn't get diagnosed with auditory processing disorder until my late teens.

[@lepmuhangpa]

Amazing, I'm proud of humans.

[@lindaplaylist170]

@@VegemiteQueen1 auditory? You also have hearing issues. Ugh.

[@maggpiprime954]

When I was a kid, and went to pick up my first pair of glasses, I asked "how will I know if they work?" The optometrist, bless him, smiled and told me to turn around and look out the shop window. "Find the furthest point, and focus on it. Ok?" "Ok." "Great; now put your glasses on." And I did. And the world opened up in pure, clean crispness!

[@davidmcmahon4633]

Yeah first time I got glasses I went outside and exclaimed that there were mountains out there - about 30 miles away. My mom cried when she heard me say that.

[@maggpiprime954]

@@davidmcmahon4633 Ok now _that_ is epic! The mountains literally opened up before you! How old were you?

[@davidmcmahon4633]

@@maggpiprime954 Just starting Third grade

[@davidvogel6359]

@@davidmcmahon4633 That is when I got my first glasses to. Our family was in the car in town when we saw some kids playing in a window and my oldest daughter could not see them. We got her glasses shortly after.

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

I got mine in the summer between 8th and 9th grade, and read every single sign I could see on the way home. Drove my mother batty :-)

[@-jeff-]

Having myopia and wearing glasses since my early childhood the one invention I praise the most was the invention of the acrylic lens. The day I went from wearing heavy "coke bottle" glasses to the fantastically light lenses was a day of pure liberation!

[@scottklocke891]

Truth

[@paulzaborny6741]

oh how true! Along with Vari lux lens

[@charlieangkor8649]

except coke bottle lenses have less chromatic aberration than plastic and thus sharper picture in the sides.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@charlieangkor8649 Except people are not slide projectors. Modern non glass eyeglass lenses are a far cry from their OG ones and are more than adequate for their purpose.

[@bradyelich2745]

I just bought my new glasses with my first set of plastic lenses in the late 1990's. I went to the farm after work and helped Brother change a bearing on the combine header. He was swinging the sledge hammer and I am holding the pipe to drive the bearing onto the shaft. He missed, and hit a glancing blow and I got hit in my left lens with an 8lb sledge hammer. The lens cracked but did not shatter and stayed in the frame. Brother knew he missed, so he was hauling back on the hammer trying to slow it down. He grabbed me, but I did not get knocked out. The new lenses saved my eye. I don't think the blow helped my brain, but that is another story.

[@johnopalko5223]

I was in first grade before anyone noticed I was blind as the proverbial bat. It was quite a revelation to get my first pair of glasses and realize that I was _supposed_ to be able to see across the room. Now I see toddlers wearing glasses and think, "That's one lucky kid to have adults around who are paying attention."

[@5610winston]

Second grade here. My Mom kept telling me to stop fooling around. The doctor turned to her and said, "Haven't you noticed he can't see three feet?" The next epiphany was after my first cataract surgery, when I looked at the night sky and saw stars without corrective lenses for the first time I could remember. Now after I see to drive without glasses, but need them for reading fine print,

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

I had a similar experience in elementary school. The teacher was using flashcards. I had to leave my seat and go walking right up to her to see what was written on the flashcard she was holding. The school contacted my mom, who until then had been unaware that my vision was so poor.

[@theboyisnotright6312]

3rd grade here. Was caught at school when they gave everyone an eye screening. My first pair of glasses it was almost like a drug. I was absolutely amazed. I forget my prescription but I was nearsighted badly.

[@SunshineofDawn]

From a 30 yr Optometrist to you, thank you for this. I will be forwarding this lesson to a large group of colleagues on Facebook. I have really enjoyed several of your topics and have learned a lot.

[@cliff8669]

When I first joined the Military, glasses issued by the Military were often referred to as birth control glasses.

[@lynemac2539]

That's funny!

[@brianloomis9351]

That's because they were so ugly!

[@jarednoble3935]

They still are

[@nonamesplease6288]

My son recently joined the Marines and was promptly issued his very own set of BCGs. They are aptly named.

[@cliff8669]

@@nonamesplease6288 I wish him well and hope for the best during his tour. Semper Fi. USMC April 1979

[@charliesimpson2974]

My school district decided to do eye exams for all students when I was in the 4th grade. The results showed that I was severely myopic (ie. 20/200 left eye; 20/270 right eye). When mom drove me home from the eye doctor with my new glasses, I was amazed that trees had twigs. I had never seen that before. I wish that I had been examined before I entered school, but they didn't do that then. My grades also shot up, now that I could see the blackboard.

[@taylorlinton7050]

You're certainly not the only one. The American Optometric Association recommends all children receive eye exams prior to starting school for that reason. Studies have shown a very high percentage of refractive error among criminals with a theory that they were unable to do well in school and were more likely to engage in criminal activity instead. Anecdotally, I've certainly noticed a correlation among my patients.

[@sheilatruax6172]

Sounds like myself when I was handed my first pair of glasses. I told my mom,"Those trees have leaves." She received her first pair when I received mine. So she just smiled. Love my mom.

[@gruberjens4354]

This is one of the channels where I give a thumbs up before the video even started. And never I had to take it back :)

[@seatedliberty]

Archimedes was widely known to have stolen the idea for his device from one of his assistants but refused to acknowledge the assistant's work or share any of the credit. This was the first known example of the Archimedes' screw.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

Which is why Edison's light bulb is screwed in, too.

[@etheroar6312]

@@deadfreightwest5956 Which goes along with how many mice does it take to screw in a lightbulb.

[@johnopalko5223]

I don't know whether to groan or applaud.

[@MrZippy052]

@@johnopalko5223 groan definitely groan

[@ChallisVenstra]

You got me 😂

[@hankfacer7098]

What an amazing history of vision problems. Born in 1945 my early eyecare was poor and in the 1950's suffered a great deal at school. Thanks for the video.

[@pamelamays4186]

History Guy is a true visionary. There's more to him than meets the eye. His videos are spec- tacular! 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@McKildafor]

Oh dear God... I'm Dead

[@RobRidleyLive]

Raise our glasses to him I suppose

[@rldenny2]

Groan...

[@MemphiStig]

i see what you did there

[@charles-y2z6c]

The history guy can see why this is important

[@JoseRamirez-qm1rw]

Llp0l Llp P Pppl

[@brucefay5126]

I see what you did there.

[@goodun2974]

Charles, THG knows this is important because he is looking at the subject through the lens of history.

[@charles-y2z6c]

good 'un 😂😂😂😂 One of the best things about THG is the comments that are double entendres and hilarious.

[@AceGreene]

Harold Slick great Stephen King short.

[@christopherconard2831]

I was 15 when they finally figured out how bad my vision was. I still remember seeing leaves on trees for the first time.

[@trishthehomesteader9873]

I felt the same after cataract surgery. I don't ever remember being able to see pine needles out the window.

[@cmo_rocks]

I was 17 and just as amazed to this day when I look at trees.

[@tpobrienjr]

My wife says the same thing: Leaves!

[@joseybryant7577]

Can say as well, that leaves are the first thing I noticed.

[@MissLilRedRooster]

I was about seven when I discovered leaves myself.

[@markpaul-ym5wg]

I woke up one morning at the age of 19 and noticed i couldnt see anything.I have worn glasses ever since.Thanks history guy.

[@sparky6086]

My parents both had paranoid personalities, so when my school teacher told them, she thought, I may need glasses, Dad & Mom said, she must have stock in some glasses manufacturer, so I didn't get an eye checkup or exam, couldn't see the chalkboard, and had to recognize people by the sound of their voice. So, I failed at school. We were middle class, and my parents were good with money and could have provided glasses for me, but I couldn't even get checked. When I was old enough, I went into the Army, and they found that I had 20/200 vision, but it was correctable to 20/20, so I was issued glasses. ...I finally could see. It was amazing. Later in life, I got Lasik surgery, and it was even better!

[@82Echo411]

Interesting. I had a similar problem in my childhood. Despite the fact that I moved from a back row in class to the front row & 1 parent wore glasses it took bad grades to get my eyes examined.

[@scallywag1716]

NO one should wait to get LASIK. I know a lot of people who are scared about the procedure. I was a bit nervous myself and put it off for 10 years. When I finally got LASIK I called myself a dumbass for waiting 10 years.

[@daneclark3161]

My brother got glasses and my sister got glasses. My parents decided that I just wanted glasses because they had them... Nope, 20/400 and I started wearing them at 10. I would fall asleep with my glasses on and when they fell off I wasn't able to find them. I had LASIK around 2005.

[@sparky6086]

@@jaywon06 I never held it against them in the first place. It was, what it was, and they were what they were. Overall, I had a great childhood. I haven't had children yet, but I haven't given up on it.

[@sparky6086]

@@daneclark3161 Now that you mention it, a year before my teacher contacted my parents about my eyesight, I mentioned to them, that the writing on the chalkboard was blurry, and they said, that I just wanted glasses, because one of my friends had glasses. In those days, no child really wanted glasses!

[@samTollefson]

I always enjoy your history "shorts", Thank You. Jack Weatherford in his book "Indian Givers" relates that the ancient Toltec or Aztec peoples would hand grind clear Quartz like mineral stones into a lense. The recipient would visit the grinder every month or so and look through the lense and report his distance vision improvement until corrected. He would then wear the lense like a talisman around his neck to pull out and look through as needed. I mention this because often Indigenous American history is often overlooked or downplayed in modern American and European history books.

[@boevansrealty8050]

At the turn of the millennium, the Wall Street Journal published a special edition ranking the 100 most important inventions of the last 1000 years. Their choice for number 1 was eyeglasses

[@lizj5740]

Do you have a link? I can only find an 11 January 1999 WSJ article, The Millenium's most influential inventions", that gives several people's opinion about this, starting with Peter J. Drucker: "The one single event in the last millennium that had the most lasting impact is the invention of printing with movable type by Gutenberg between 1445 and 1455." No one mentions eyeglasses.

[@boevansrealty8050]

LizJ sorry I don’t. I do remember it was a special section and I believe it was written by the editors. . Guttenberg’s printing press was mentioned, but it was pointed out that the printing press would be useless for many people without eyeglasses. I have a vague memory of the article you refer to as well.

[@lizj5740]

@@boevansrealty8050 Thanks. I appreciate your reply.

[@omgsam7185]

the amazing thing about this channel is that the topics are not click-baiting, but peculiar. they create a mild interest and you wouldnt even realize how you ended up watching 10 videos of THG

[@lisamills3228]

I was 4 when I got my first pair, 1964. Should have gotten them earlier. They correct as I have been told, both near and far sightedness. In my 50s had both eyes corrected for cataracts. With a further diagnosis of Presumed Primary Ocular Histoplasmosis. Thanks to all the people who have done all the research, so I can see as a normal person

[@oldenslo4141]

Johnny Nash passed away yesterday, 10/6/20 he was the singer and songwriter of "I Can See Clearly Now". Of course, his song was about love, but this song was used a lot by Optical Companies advertisements.

[@mcctravel]

Excellent presentation! As a retired inner•city middle school history teacher (30yrs), I love learning more and “seeing” your presentations. “I see” said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and began to saw. 😊👍👓

[@H00L3y]

Didn't see this coming

[@jacockistitsworth9392]

Nice.

[@joeyjamison5772]

I see what you did there.

[@warrenjones744]

Groan 🙃😀

[@coleberry9827]

Get some glasses

[@raydunakin]

Good one!

[@sparky6086]

Interesting about potential mates w/ eyeglasses being selected. Supposedly, John Lennon didn't need glasses, but wore them, so people would see him as an intellectual or at least take him seriously. I noticed, back in the late 1970's and 1980's, that many people from poor backgrounds would buy glasses without corrective lenses to wear, when they got dressed up to go out on the town, hoping to meet a girl. They had to be stylish glasses though. When I was in the Army, they issued us "BCG's" (Birth Control Glasses), which were glasses with frames so out of style at the time, that the opposite sex wouldn't give you the time of day!

[@stanwbaker]

Something of a Beatles nerd checking in. Some of Lennon's glasses survive and have been tested to -7.50 to -8. He was severely nearsighted, almost "legally blind before correction". This may have informed his issues with authority. A close friend we've heard of has stated no small part of his not wearing glasses onstage helped him cope with stage fright.

[@sparky6086]

@@stanwbaker Yes. Looking at pictures of John Lennon without glasses, he seemed to skwint a lot, which is a symptom of nearsightedness. I'd heard the rumor, that John didn't really need glasses from a Liverpudlian, whom I played golf with. People, even fellow Liverpudlians, must have assumed, because they didn't see him with glasses before, that he only wore them later for whatever image, which he may have been seeking, when the truth was, he probably began wearing them, once he was confident enough in himself, not to worry about it.

[@charles-y2z6c]

In wolf of wall street the character played by Jonah Hill (fictional Donnie Azof) he wore glasses with no correction to make him look more WASP

[@charles-y2z6c]

@@stanwbaker I heard those glasses just sole at auction for $250k

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

I love ladies in glasses. 🤓

[@malcolmbrown3532]

The biggest thing that makes me smile and find humorous, with regards to "glasses", is that the Hubble Space telescope needed a visit by the Opticians and fitting with lenses...... As it couldn't "see" very well an was producing blurry photos of the Universe. Turned out that there was a fault less than the diameter of a hair on one of the prisms. Since it was fitted with new corrective lenses, it has produced some brilliant, not to mention stunning photos of the Universe.

[@stephenmorrissey1254]

I like that some of the images in this video are slightly blurred.

[@FossilFishy]

How timely, I'm waiting for my new glasses. Seven years since my last new lenses and a whopping 20(ish) since my last new frame.* Very excited! *Spending the extra for a titanium frame really paid off. 😀

[@keeganwebber]

Titanium is a wonderful material. Its holding my shattered arms together right now and won't ever require replacement, while being just soft enough to prevent bone atrophy Not a lot of metals with that long of a fatigue life

[@paulzaborny6741]

Yup. On my second set in my titanium frames. They are also tough to abuse and don't get corroded so easy.

[@wendychavez5348]

I've been practically blind since 2nd grade, so everything about the history of eyewear interests me. Thank you for acknowledging its importance!

[@mbgal7758]

Wendy Chavez me too but school didn’t put their foot down until 4th grade so I didn’t get glasses until then. I remember getting yelled at for years to scoot back from the console tv but my mom never thought anything of it when I said I couldn’t see it.

[@sandrataylor2323]

I do so love listening to your videos and learning about history as I love learning. Thank you for making history interesting.

[@catjudo1]

I was born extremely nearsighted and wore thick lenses, even with the high index types that make lenses thinner. In my mid-thirties I developed cataracts and had replacement lenses installed in both eyes (while having the astigmatism in my one eye repaired). Now, for the past ten years I have had vision (I drive without any correction now) for all but close vision, everything closer than about 16-18 inches. My experiences with correction have thus gone from one extreme to the other, but I far prefer my vision as it is now.

[@DashPar]

I’m thinking in 2020 virtual classrooms, history teachers just say “here, watch the History Guy” he can tell you more in 15 minutes than I can in an hour LOL!

[@Spikejwh1]

Yeah, but the History Guy is not a Leftist political activist and tell the kids that Trump is the cause of all evil.

[@pawog04youtube3]

@@Spikejwh1 he is not political at all that's why he is soo good, plus can you really be political with eye glasses?

[@havokvladimirovichstalinov]

@@Spikejwh1 eh, while I dont disagree, not the time or the place man.

[@samiam619]

@@havokvladimirovichstalinov So I would be out of place telling Spikejwh1 that he is right: tRump isn’t the cause, It’s the GOP Senate and HoRep that enable his traitorous ways?

[@havokvladimirovichstalinov]

@@samiam619 no, this isnt the place for politics. THG doesnt go into them for a reason.

[@charlesdudek7713]

One of my daughters was told in second grade she needed glasses and we took her to an optometrist and she got glasses. She didn't care for them and only wore them in class. The following year we had her tested again and her eyes were 20-20 and to this day at 30 she still has perfect vision. I think with young children their eyes are still developing so it is good to monitor their vision closely and maybe not make them wear their glasses when not in a classroom setting.

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

Eyesight changes with age. I have worn glasses for 30 years and my sight is getting better at certain areas while getting worse in the middle. Also changes in the internal pressure can change its shape and affect the eyesight, maybe even changes in blood pressure can do that.

[@charlesdudek7713]

@@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681 oh yeah blood pressure for sure affects eye sight.

[@inawrocki207]

@@charlesdudek7713 Inflammation, sleep deprivation, and muscle fatigue all play a part in vision acuity on a daily basis.

[@1953childstar]

Your daughter was not nearsighted.. She had temporary "Childhood hyperopia"… That is much different than a myopic child not being able to see the blackboard...

[@charlesdudek7713]

@@1953childstar I recall she had some trouble seeing the words on the blackboard and that is what brought it to light. My point was during early childhood it is good to closely monitor eyesight among other things because during the growth years things are changeable.

[@lindastansbury2067]

I've been wearing vision correction of various types for over 60 years. This video was a real eye opener.

[@weeds526]

As the son of an eye doctor and someone with awful vision, I appreciate this

[@larrygarrett724]

I must tell you that i really enjoy your videos. As a lover of history since early childhood you enable me to continue to feed my natural curiosity on the subject. I never understood those students who dreaded history class. I always viewed it as an adventure that was actually true!! Thank you for your continued and appreciated work!

[@davidgibson9866]

Coincidentally, I was waiting to be seen at the eye doctor and thought I would look at KZbin and this video suggestion came up. What a informative video 👍🏻

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Another excellent topic well presented. I started wearing eyeglasses at age 7, I'm now in my 70s. Nearsighted in one eye, farsighted in the other, and different angles of astigmatism in each eye. I'm thankful for eyeglasses, and for modern progressive lenses made of lightweight acrylic.

[@TheLionAndTheLamb777]

Can't wait to see this video.

[@lexington476]

Score. 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤘

[@annahorton6747]

Let's "see" how many people get this comment.

[@ferengiprofiteer9145]

Ha! Been near sighted since 7th grade. Became an avid reader in 6th grade. Now, after 7 decades, I had my cataract surgery. Now I have 20/15 vision! It's awesome!! Now I have to ware reading glasses. 🤔, it's always something.

[@therealanyaku]

Missing an important step in the development of eye glasses: Among his many contributions, Johannes Kepler published a detailed explanation of the optics of meniscus lenses. Subsequently lens makers began the widespread use of meniscus lenses in eye glasses, which greatly expand the useful field of view using them.

[@jerryumfress9030]

I was diagnosed with nearsightedness when I was 11. I also had damage to my right eye that same year after being hit with a volley ball. Over the years my eyesight has gone from seeing distances almost perfectly, but up close I need readers. I'm 68 now, and getting along very well. Thanks for this post, it's very informative!

[@tonygohagan2766]

I see why this Deserves To Be Remembered!!

[@kenwalz7231]

Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about getting my eyes checked looking for problems I just thought of it to get new glasses....I would have ignored any one else pointing this out...but not the THE HISTORY GUY.......HE DON'T LIE........there is your new moto!

[@tncorgi92]

I think the time we spend indoors does have an impact. I never had vision problems until my late 20s when I started working inside and using a computer a lot. Since then I've been nearsighted and wear glasses almost all of the time.

[@jackbootsman5672]

Thanks for that. Saw 20/15 most of my life. Detiorated over time. Had cataract surgerary last Feburary. Amazing. Can see better than 20/20 now and, makes night driving easier.

[@davidguerrero9270]

Thank you for this episode in specific, and all the hard work you do in general!

[@rodneycarey44]

Both The History Guy and Girl have a knack for making everything interesting. Thank you for sharing who we are and how we got here

[@Kazemahou]

I once had a pair of Trufocals, glasses that use a liquid silicone lens that you could adjust with a slide switch at the top. The slide increased or decreased the volume of the optical liquid at will, allowing utterly perfect focus at any distance for my 50+ year old eyes. It was glorious. But the company was put out of business and my special glasses are long gone now. I wish that such would be made again, but, alas, there is a strong effort to prevent such an invention to exist - it tends to render the need for optometrists and multiple pairs of reading and normal glasses irrelevant. The current agreement allows such glasses - in a primitive form - to be provided to the impoverished third world so long as they are suppressed in the industrialized world. I, at sixty now, am acrimonious about this situation and the raw, capitalistic greed behind it. I miss being able to enjoy instant visual compensation as if I were twenty again.

[@Auntypatti]

Just have to say I really enjoy your videos. I have always loved history. I have spent my life, since the age of 14 gathering my own family history. Went through a love of renaissance and now am going through a study of pre-history, 20,000 by. I remember a history professor I had in junior college who made learning history a joy. You remind me of him. Keep it up.

[@jarannoiseux-mackay3405]

"Thirdly, there is plenty of evidence of prehistoric humans taking care of disabled members of their group for long periods." Insert at 2m38s.

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

Much like the technology you're describing, this video is a sophisticated, really well-made piece of kit. It's incessantly informative while paced so particularly as you wouldn't notice. I couldn't look myself in the specs if I didn't subscribe to an educator this good.

[@terryhickman7929]

Very interesting! I wonder about an article I read many MANY years ago, about how ancient Japanese used small bags of sand, placed on the eyelids as one slept, which would correct near-sightedness for several hours after a good night's sleep. I guess they compressed the cornea a little bit, mashing it into a more normal shape and sharpening the vision. I wonder if that's true. It wouldn't work for me; I toss & turn too much while I sleep to keep them in place.

[@kyqx]

Thanks for covering this subject. With age, I've finally bought some "cheaters" and wondered how the older folks in the past dealt with the loss of their reading ability. It must have been very frustrating.

[@williamdegnan4718]

Clearly, a program pleasing to the pupils.

[@Ellesmere888]

Terrific presentation ! I knew of at least two girls in law school who wore non-corrective glasses to give them that ''intellectual'' look. As a young marine navigation officer, I had excellent vision. In my mid-forties it started to deteriorate and I started buying those cheap reading glasses that I wore around my neck with a lanyard. Now at 60 years of age, I couldn't get out of a parking lot without my glasses ... LOL Thanks THG !

[@rudolfabelin383]

This would make the movie "The name of the rose", which takes place in 1327, historically quite accurate where Sean Connery is worried where his glasses are (if I remeber correctly).

[@jr2kewl]

As a fan of your channel I usually love your videos but this one really hits home. As a spectacle wearer since fourth grade I have an all-too-intimate acquaintance with all things ophthalmic.Thank you, The History Guy, for your continued high standards, both historical and artistic. This is one awesome channel!

[@trj1442]

Automatic like for THG. Looking forward to this one, excuse the pun.

[@sophroniel]

We noticed my brother was very myopic as he would always sit down in one part of the couch to watch tv and refuse to move. He was 3 years old. He was blind as a bat in his right eye only. He started wearing corrective lenses. By the time he reached his teens he had perfect vision. It's incredible.

[@Traderjoe]

I remember my older cousin wearing glass contact lenses in the early 1970s and we were out hunting and suddenly one of them popped out and we spent hours on our hands and knees trying to find it

[@timatkins2324]

Another good episode. You mentioned lens couching to "treat" cataracts. In the Middle Ages, another procedure was used to extract the lens with a small rigid tube. The "surgeon" would insert the sharp end far enough into the eye to reach the lens - then suck it out.

[@noelthorley3248]

Nice one as usual. On this subject, could you please look into the life and work of Fred Hollows. ( yes pun fully intended) A great man worth mentioning. Thank you.

[@CailenCambeul]

South Australia Here: Having only recently switched to metric in 66, Australians still use the term 20/20 for perfect vision. I never even knew of 6/6 until I heard you say it.

[@its1110]

I've had terrible eyesight my whole life. People that can see tend to take their eyesight for granted. They should not!

[@bobw222]

At 68 I now have 20/20 vision. I had cataract surgery and my lenses were replaced with artificial ones. The huge change is that now I need reading glasses where I never needed them before. Wish I could have had the lenses replace in my 20's, it would have made a huge difference, and perhaps opened up different opportunities for careers.

[@StefanGrit]

Eye opening piece.

[@fully_retractable]

I work on this equipment daily, (16 years) and thank you for detailing the history of the rx master, but before that there was the B&L (Bouche, and lomb) " green's" refractor. The one shown (initially in the story) was a burton 7500 illuminated refractor. The Rx master was the first to have a synchronized Jackson cross cylinder, and synchronized- counter rotating prisms. They were later replaced by the ultramatic. American optical was later sold to leica, which later became Reichert, which later was bought by AMETEK. Largely up until 2014 the ultramatic didn't change internally, It was just rebranded with the buyouts. There was another model before the rx master that got A.O. to be able to compete with the green's, but it didn't have synchronized cross cylinder, and those are very rare to see, and deserve to be museum peices.

[@Sandy.J.Lloyd.Sr.]

Love the History Guy, great show

[@Simonsvids]

I am just amazed at the number of people on here who had parents who just did not believe them when they said, as children that they had trouble seeing! I have had glasses since the age of 8, when I told my mother I had problems seeing after a measles infection (which commonly affects the eyes). That was over 50 years ago. I made sure my own children had an eye test at a young age.

[@eliscanfield3913]

Considering how early my husband and I needed glasses, I suspect we'd always have been a bit hard of seeing. (He's got congenital rubella, though, so definitely in his case)

[@cafiend]

My grandfather was part of a team associated with Rutgers University that pioneered research into vision problems as a hindrance to education. He practiced from the mid 1920s until about 1980.

[@pipepicasso8112]

You left out Navil R. Johnson's invention of the Opti-grab.😁

[@t.lawrencewheatman1640]

What a jerk. LOL

[@jonathanjordahl5345]

I’m very glad to see the continued new direction in your work, exploring a wide variety of practical and fascinating topics, all of which have their own history with international, cross-cultural and multidimensional aspects that not only carry lessons for our better understanding our past and how we got to where we are, but also the implications and possibilities for the future. Thank you for learning and being willing to change, stretch and grow!

[@rockerneck]

You wouldn’t believe what it was like to see leaves on a tree after getting glasses for the first time.

[@jimsterrett8214]

I got glasses at age 10 when a teacher realized that I couldn't read the blackboard. I really freaked out that you could see individual leaves on trees! Now in my twilight years I still need glasses for distant viewing, but was also given bifocals so I could read through them. These made bicycle riding (my go-to exercise) very difficult since I couldn't clearly see my pedals. So I'm back to single vision glasses and just take them off to read (or comment on another great video). Thanks!

[@jeffherald8542]

I'm a little surprised you didn't mention the ill-fated Opti-Grab handle for glasses, invented by Navin Johnson in St. Louis in 1979. (Lol)

[@jazzcatt]

Navin was a jerk for inventing that thing! LOL

[@protestagain]

Somebody has said that the dog we choose is like a mirror of ourselves. Back in those times I drove a taxi, I often drove a blind woman, and she had a dog to help her, but unfortunately the dog got some seing problems and got blind as her owner.

[@DaveTexas]

The fact that eye/vision care isn’t included in health insurance in the U.S. is criminal (as is the lack of dental care). For-profit insurance is the cause of so many health problems in the U.S., eye problems being a big part of that, since so few people have access to affordable vision care. When you do have the option to include vision as an add-on to health insurance, it rarely covers expensive treatments. I’ve had serious problems with my eyesight all my life - I had cataracts in my forties - but I haven’t had an eye exam in about five years because I don’t have insurance that covers vision and I simply can’t afford any form of treatment, so there’s no point getting an exam.

[@minuteman4199]

I live in Canada where we have "free" health insurance. I pay 50 percent in Income tax and 15 percent in sales tax. My "free" healthcare costs me 50 K a year. It doesn't cover eye exams or glasses. I can get an eye exam for 90 dollars and a glasses for a few hundred. I have no idea what cataract surgery costs but if you only need glasses, they're not that expensive.

[@MarkEvans-wx3sg]

Vote Republican!

[@chrisking1334]

Fascinating - as ever! Thanks for all that you do. Might I respectfully request, please, for my Chicagoan wife now resident in the UK, something about the incredible engineering that went into the reversal of the flow of the Chicago river? - it's a genuinely fascinating story! All the best, Chris, UK

[@sharronkelly115]

One bright day, In the middle of the night. Two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other. Drew their swords. They shot each other. A deaf policemen heard the noise. He came and shot those two dead boys. If you don't believe my stories true? Ask the Blind Man. He saw it to. (My mother often quoted this to my brother and me)

[@swmovan]

I remember something along the line of "'I see", said the blind man, to his deaf daughter."' I can't remember the rest.

[@ronunderwood5771]

I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

[@Daekar3]

I never get tired of the introduction puns and the "I know that was cheesy and I love it" smile. 😊

[@jphilb]

I have had bad nearsightedness since I was 10. I often wondered if I had been born thousands of years ago if I would have survived to reach my teens.

[@richardklug822]

I also was diagnosed and treated for severe myopia at 10, but removed my ugly "Buddy Holly" framed glasses whenever I away from our house and my parents. This continued until the day I walked into a lamp pole and knocked myself flat...been wearing (much more attractive ones) for 60 yrs. now!

[@JustAManFromThePast]

Homer did!

[@sharronkelly115]

@@richardklug822 I loved the Buddy Holly frames! Then with the advertising of titanium frames by LensCrafters in the year 1999-2000. I saved my money and was all prepared to buy them. At over 900 dollars. When I broke my Buddy Holly frames at work. I did not complain at all. But the assistant general manager told me he witness the accident and said the company would pay despite my ability to provide for my own needs. I got the exam and the glasses. Close to a thousand dollars. I was reimburse by my job in cash. I miss my job with Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey red unit circus. It happen pushing the Bengal tiger cat cages for the Greatest Show on Earth in Ohio working on transportation crew.

[@ristoalanko9281]

I think I have listened this guy much more than I listened all my history teachers in school!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

3:34 So convincingly he said!

[@nktigger99]

The commercial I got before this was for Eye correction surgery...lol. I always tell my kids how blessed they are to live in a time where they can get glasses.

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

My priest constantly warned us boys growing up as to those activities that would make you go blind.

[@williamdegnan4718]

So you stopped when you needed glasses?

[@cheerdiver]

Did he follow up with ALTERnative suggestions?

[@216trixie]

Your priest should have warned you about other priests touching you.

[@jacockistitsworth9392]

The priest made me go blind.

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

@@216trixie yep, they hate competition.

[@gregkurkey789]

Loved this one. As an ABO advanced certified Optician, I found this fascinating. Thank you.

[@Vet-7174]

THG , I understand !!

[@steveclark4291]

Thank you for the interesting and informative article ! Take care , stay safe and healthy wherever your research may take you ! Doing well here in Kansas .

[@13BGunBunny]

I have been wearing glasses for so long, I can't remember when I started wearing them. At my last examination, my Dr. told me that my eyesight is close to 20/1000.

[@keeganwebber]

What's your corrected visual acuity though? 20/1000 is the top of the scale and standard charts dont even go that high lmao

[@13BGunBunny]

@@keeganwebber I said _close to_ 20/1000

[@williamgrant6903]

Some trivia: a proper testing distance has to be 20 feet (optical infinity) otherwise your Rx will be underminused. Think: light = a wave. When you drop a stone into calm water, the waves become essentially parallel (zero power) 20 feet away.

[@jimsedlacek4897]

WHAT!! I thought there was going to be a reference to an eye patch somewhere in this history. Don't all good stories get better with an eye patch especially if worn by a PIRATE!!!

[@stevedietrich8936]

Good morning THG. Thanks for bringing this subject into focus.

[@Liberalcali]

I just got glasses and my boyfriend said he got his wish he always wanted. He wished for a beautiful smart woman that wore glasses. I didn’t wear glasses when I met him.

[@gtbkts]

Commenting for support

[@Mikemikemike13579]

“Doctor my eyes, tell me what it wrong. Was I unwise to keep them open for so long?” 🎵

[@sharronkelly115]

I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's going to be a bright sunshiny day. June 23rd 1972 Jimmy Cliff

[@goodun2974]

"You talk about your woman /I wish you could see mine/ when she starts to lovin'/ she brings eyesight to the blind....." Sonny Boy Williamson (later borrowed by the Who for the Tommy record).

[@the_original_Bilb_Ono]

I look at the floor, and i see it needs sweeping. Still my guitar gently weeps.

[@goodun2974]

@@the_original_Bilb_Ono , don't make a spectacle of yourself in public!

[@goodun2974]

The sky is crying/ look at the tears running down the street...Elmore James

[@chrispeoples4606]

Cool episode! In my physics classes I teach optics and do go over vision correction for myopia and hyperopia. This episode provides some backstory, adds flavor to the science part on my end.

[@dubyah8824]

My cat has horrible eyesight, and so did my dog. Both are/were old, so It’s just a matter of time.

[@216trixie]

wtf?

[@paulzaborny6741]

Cats can't focus sharply at less than 11 inches is why they have whiskers and decent sense of smell.

[@oliverheaviside2539]

When I move my hand to scratch my cat's ear, he flinches if my hand is in his field of view. Now I know why.

[@ArtistryBranson]

Another stellar episode, HG, anyone who doesn't agree is clearly blind!

[@HM2SGT]

Another interesting, entertaining and informative THG presentation. 10 minutes since it was posted & there's already a thumb down? What could there possibly be to dislike about this? I think somebody accidentally hit the wrong thumb!

[@jaywon06]

A blind guy did it.

[@cliffchism9187]

He couldnt see which was which...

[@cliffchism9187]

wargent99 obviously you have a difficult time distiguishing between an angry response, jovial responses and someone simply expressing an opinion. Hope this doesnt make you angry. Wanna hug? By the way, your hypocrisy in calling out someone for not thinking like you is absolutely hilarious.

[@HM2SGT]

@@jaywon06 braille internet & KZbin... you're right, I was judging too harshly. 😸

[@HM2SGT]

@wargent99 The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices - just recognize them. E. R. Murrow Even you, as Cliff points out so adroitly.

[@Lee-70ish]

I Never miss an episode of these brilliantly presented bite size history lessons. its the only channel I've remained loyally subscribed to. I've had cataract ops and laser treatment so learning the origins of them was of special interest. Thanks THG