Ray Ban is a famous manufacturer of sunglasses, with a long history of designing high-end eye wear for sale all around the world. Ray Ban were founded in 1936 by Bausch and Lomb and were originally introduced for the United States Army Air Corps. While there are literally hundreds of different brands of designer sunglasses all over the world, none are as well known and iconic as the famous Ray Ban brand.
It all began in 1936 when Lieutenant John A. Macready came back from a balloon flight and complained how the sun had permanently damaged his eyes. He made the effort to contact Bausch & Lomb, and the rest is history. In his initial communication, Macready asked them to create sunglasses that would provide protection from the harsh rays of the sun while also looking elegant at the same time.
Bausch & Lomb took out a patent and created a prototype which they called Anti-Glare. Not only were they effective at protecting against the sun, they also had an extremely light frame weighing only 150 grams. The original models were made from gold plated metal complete with green lenses which were made of mineral glass. This not only looked cool but allowed the glasses to block out infra red and ultraviolet rays. Almost straight away, these sunglasses were associated with the US military, which is one of the main reasons they have managed to hold on to their iconic appeal. Pilots in the United States Army Air Corps immediately took to these sunglasses, because of both their functional protective nature and their elegant appearance.
Ever since the early years, the Ray Ban brand has been synonymous with quality design and style. One of the most famous historical events associated with the brand was when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines in World War II while wearing them. Photographers took a number of pictures of him wearing the sunglasses, which managed to cement their iconic status and their association with the military. Ray Ban sunglasses remain just as popular and widely available in the 21st century, and can be bought from fashion retailers and online store.