Early printed book contains rare evidence of medieval spectacles (2012)
sites.utexas.edu
sites.utexas.edu
Guess they wanted to make sure nothing was left to chance.
> (Late Latin) blind
If you have time, check this article for the various possible meanings of "ab": http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:19... (It's a bit more detailed than wiktionary!)
We call them "eyeglasses" in English. The Latin word vitreos doesn't have "eye" in it, it's just "glass". It's also the clear stuff in the middle of your eye, but that's a much less common usage than glass.
I only need glasses since the last year or so and I have been amazed by how monopolistic and bad this whole industry is.
The prescriptions are fairly standard, but still, making a pair of glasses cost more or less 200$ and require a 1:1 appointment. The price of the lens mounts is just ridiculous for a piece of metal.
Even looking at an alternative like Warby Parker, the price is still about the same for something, that let's be honest must not cost more than 20$ to make!
I since then bought 4 pair of glasses directly on Amazon from a Chinese vendor for 10$ (I have a small standard prescription) and they do a perfect job. I can barely tell the difference from my Warby Parker ones.
It's crazy to me that cheap glasses are still that difficult to get.
It's still an expensive item thanks to the near monopoly of both frame and lens production. Nearly every brand you know are owned by just two companies. Those two are now merging: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/10/the-invisible-p...
The Freedom Markets™ cult perpetuates the fiction that corporatism == capitalism.
Corporations are explicitly anti-competition.
Depends on the country. I went to Japan for vacation a few months ago ; my girlfriend wanted a new pair of glasses. She just went to a mall in an optical center, they took her eye measurements on the spot, we went back two hours after and the glasses were ready.
Going into a shop in Stockholm I was told it'd take 2 weeks, which obviously wasn't acceptable.
When I arrived in Moscow, just like you I went into a shop, took the measurement, went for lunch and it was ready when I came back. What was fascinating was that they had the actual machines to grind the lens at the back of the shop. It was pretty cool.
Those glasses lasted me for years, and they worked really well.
Some newer companies (Stanton Optical) are even starting to offer the complete service inside of 15 minutes so you can get the glasses while you wait and frames run as low as $20.
if you have special issues and need to order lenses it may get expensive but glasses are deductibles, so you get a little back.
anyway I did a cursory search on amazon usa and one can find prescription glasses with lenses of variable strength for around 20$, of course they're not the best or the prettiest, but there are ways for people to get glasses on the cheap.
One of the happiest moments in my life was when I realised that speedo offers optical goggles. And even not trying to rip me off 10x. No more fumbling around at the pool.
(And speaking just for myself, I'd prefer not going through Amazon if it can reasonably be avoided.)