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The History Behind Sunglasses
It’s no secret that promotional sunglasses are a rage as corporate gifts. Almost everybody – from customers to employees – loves receiving them! Capable of adding style to any marketing campaign, promo sunglasses are regularly used by firms to take their branding to the next level. This article traces the long journey made by promotional sunglasses to the enviable position it has today in the marketing world. Eskimos – The men behind the world’s first sunglasses Most people will find it difficult to believe that sunglasses were around since time immemorial. The Eskimos from the Arctic are responsible for introducing the world’s first sunglasses more than 2000 years ago. They made flattened glasses from walrus ivory, which had narrow slits that helped keep out harmful rays of the sun, thus preventing snow blindness. The Eskimos then introduced their brand of ancient sunglasses in Canada around 800 years ago. As years wore on, glasses were used for purposes other than sun protection. From the 12th century, Chinese judges began to sport quartz lenses to hide their eyes in court. The main idea behind this was to keep their expressive eyes and emotions out of the public domain. Sam Foster – The man behind modern sunglasses In 1929, Sam Foster – a man who dealt primarily with accessories for women – decided to introduce sunglasses for beach-goers. He first sold his range of sunglasses among the beach goers of Atlantic City, New Jersey. They became a big hit and there was no looking back for Foster. Today, his company Foster Grant is one of the leading providers of quality reading glasses and sunglasses around the world.