Ray Ban Sunglasses

History

Ray-Bans were initially created in 1937 after lieutenant John MacCready had returned from a balloon flying adventure in 1920. He complained that the sun had done permanent damage to his eyes. He contacted Bausch & Lomb asking them to create a type of sunglasses that would not only provide superb protection, but also look elegant. On May 7, 1937, Bausch & Lomb officially took out the patent. The prototype, known as Anti-Glare, consisted of an extremely light frame weighing 150 grams. They were made of gold-plated metal with two green lenses made of mineral glass to filter out infrared and ultraviolet rays. Pilots in the United States Air Force immediately adopted the sunglasses. They gained instant success when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines in World War II. Photographers snapped several pictures of him wearing them for newspapers, and Americans instantly fell in love with them.

Entertainment

Hundreds of Ray-Ban Sunglasses have made appearances in Hollywood films; the first dates back to the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, staring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. Later, the popularity of Ray-Ban sunglasses was confirmed in the Hollywood hit Blues Brothers staring Dan Akroyd and John Belushi. Later, Tom Cruise added his own contribution in 1983 hit Risky Business.