Randolph Aviator Sunglasses

Before discussing Randolph aviator sunglasses we should learn a little about the history of sunglasses in general, and the original aviator sunglasses in particular.

Sunglasses have been around for a long time, and in fact, some argue they go back to the early 1300s. When Chinese judges wore them in order to cover the rise and conceal from witnesses and prosecutors what they were thinking. These simple sunglasses consisted of smoked glass in a porcelain frame that rested on their nose.

Archaeologists have also found simple snow goggles, which were used by the Intuit Eskimos , who carved animal bones and placed slits in them to reduce the glare of bright sunlight off of the snow. It is even said that the Roman Emperor Nero watched gladiator fights with emeralds placed in a frame.

Early motion pictures were made in the studios, which were delighted by very powerful arc lamps. The bright light from these lamps would cause the silent movie actors and actresses to have perennially red eyes. Early sunglasses were used by these movie stars to protect their eyes from these bright lights in between scenes.

In 1929 Sam Foster, founder of Foster Grant, began to mass produce sunglasses. The sunglasses became very popular on the beaches of Atlantic City New Jersey, and were sold through a wall were store on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

In the early days of aviation pilots wore goggles with lenses which were somewhat tear shaped. The company that manufactured these goggles for pilots was Ray-Ban, and in 1936 Ray-Ban expanded their line of glasses to include sunglasses, which became known as aviators. The sunglasses were the original aviator sunglasses, which later became very popular with military officers, and eventually military aviators.

During world war two aviators sunglasses were made popular by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who wore a pair when he returned to the Philippine Islands. As military aircraft flew at higher altitudes, protecting their eyes became a more important issue and the military began to issue these original aviator sunglasses to pilots to protect their vision.

As modern aircraft became powered by jet engines and flying at much higher altitudes it became more important to protect their eyes from the harsh ultraviolet lights at those altitudes. The US military requested suppliers to bid on providing aviator sunglasses for its pilots, and in 1972 Randolph Engineering, Inc. became the prime supplier to the US military.

Since that time, Randolph aviator sunglasses have become the world standard for aviator sunglasses and are used by military services around the world. These Randolph Engineering aviator sunglasses have won the respect of pilots everywhere, because they are made in the United States by talented craftsman and have proven to be both durable and effective.

Today Randolph aviator sunglasses come in a variety of styles, and you can find a great selection for yourself at All Things Aviation, a website and blog dedicated to the aviation community.