Steampunk Glasses: Between Historical Fact and Retrofuturistic Myth
Are steampunk glasses historically accurate, or merely the product of a collective imagination shaped by fiction? Behind tinted lenses and metal frames with retrofuturistic designs lies a historical reality often more surprising than the myth itself. An investigation into the heart of the 19th century.
Steampunk is an aesthetic movement inspired, among other influences, by the Victorian era in England (1837–1901), the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the French Belle Epoque (1871–1914). Visually, steampunk offers a fantasized reinterpretation of 19th-century fashion, extending into the very early 20th century. Logically, steampunk glasses should therefore echo what was actually worn during that period. But where does historical accuracy end, and where does retrofuturistic myth begin? To answer that question, we must travel back in time: dig through archives, leaf through opticians’ catalogues from another era, explore sometimes baffling medical beliefs, and examine the earliest advertisements published in the American press. A fascinating journey to the origins of an accessory that has since become iconic.
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Did sunglasses even exist in the 19th century?
Take a close look at the photograph below. It was taken in 1906 on a beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As you can see, sunglasses were still quite rare at the beginning of the 20th century. Among the hundreds of beachgoers visible, only one individual appears to be wearing them (unless your eyes are sharper than mine). Hats and parasols, by contrast, are everywhere. At the time, blocking the sun meant casting a shadow, not filtering light through lenses.
Atlantic City, 1906 (click on the image to display its full and larger version)
It was on this very beach, in 1929, that Sam Foster sold the first sunglasses under the Foster Grant brand. By 1930, everyone wanted a pair. The sunglasses craze was born. But what was it like in the 19th century?
The invention of sunglasses
Tinted lenses first appeared in China in the 12th century. Because the eyes were believed to reveal the soul, Chinese judges reportedly wore darkened lenses to conceal their emotions while presiding over court cases—an early example of eyewear used as both tool and symbol.
In 1459, the Portuguese scientist Nuno Fernandes imported from Italy one pair of spectacles with colored lenses, intended for use while riding in snowy environments. This is likely the earliest documented case of glasses being used to protect the eyes from intense light. For centuries afterward, however, tinted lenses were primarily therapeutic rather than protective. Blue and green lenses were widely believed to correct or alleviate various visual impairments. It was not until the 1840s that the concept of sunglasses—as we understand them today—began to truly emerge.
Syphilis glasses: myth or reality?
In the 19th century, syphilis was as widespread in Europe as the common cold. Many prominent figures of the era were affected, including Flaubert, Stendhal, Baudelaire, and Maupassant. Due to their lifestyles, writers were considered a high-risk group for this venereal disease.
A persistent belief claims that sunglasses were prescribed to syphilis patients suffering from photophobia when the disease affected the eyes. They were even said to be paired with a metal prosthetic nose designed to conceal a collapsed nasal bridge. To see what this looks like, you can watch episode 3 of season 1 of The Knick. Viewer discretion advised.
The first references to the term “sunglasses” were found in American newspapers of the middle of the 19th century. In the October 23, 1841 edition of The North Carolinian an advertisement was published for a shop called “the Subscriber.” Among the list of various items that this store advertised, sunglasses (“sun glasses” in the text) are found. Other vendors like W.H. Cary & Co, E. Samsom and W. W. Wesser & Co published similar advertisements in U.S. newspapers throughout the country during the same period. The first advertisements with pictures or photos of sunglasses were published later. Examples of those can be found in the June 19, 1898 edition of The Herald and the August 19, 1917 edition of the Evening Star.
Some examples of ads for sunglasses in U.S. newspapers from the 19th and early 20th century. Take a look at the model on the right. Now that’s what steampunk sunglasses should look like!
On closer inspection, these early tinted glasses already display shapes, materials, and uses that strongly evoke steampunk goggles: an aesthetic born of real-world constraints, long before being embraced by retrofuturistic imagination.
Common spectacle styles in the 19th century
In the earliest centuries of eyewear, lenses were almost exclusively round. Between 1810 and 1830, lighter oval spectacles became particularly popular in America. Rectangular and octagonal frames followed in the 1840s, before oval shapes returned to fashion in the 1850s.
Frames were typically made of metal—iron, silver, gold, steel, copper, bronze, or various alloys—though tortoiseshell and cattle horn were also used. The diversity of styles is striking, as illustrated by this 1897 catalogue from Maison D. Latour.
Some examples of 19th-century glasses designs – Catalog of Maison D. Latour (1897)
Clip-on nose spectacles, straight temples, curved temples, C-bridges, X-bridges… Eyewear in the 19th century defies simplification. That said, two particularly distinctive designs stand out: glasses with side shields and four-lens spectacles:
An American soldier wearing steampunk glasses round sunglasses with side shields in 1863
Captain Thomas B. Griffith, volunteer during the American civil war, with four-lens glasses
Logically, the most convincing steampunk glasses today are those inspired directly by these 19th-century models. Lens shapes, frame materials, and color tints already offer an astonishingly rich creative foundation. Drawing on these references, some modern designs successfully balance historical fidelity with contemporary wearability.
The ideal steampunk sunglasses
By now, you should know what steampunk glasses should look like! Here is our selection of steampunk sunglasses that match with the fashion of the 19th century:
Steampunk glasses with blue lenses: Why Is It Such a Good Idea?
Portrait of a Gentleman with blue spectacles, by John Wesley Jarvis (1807)
Did you know that blue lenses were all the rage in the 19th century? TAs counter-intuitive as it may sound today, several scientific—and pseudo-scientific—reasons explain their popularity.
In 1854, British scientist Robert Hunt claimed that a beam of light passing through a blue lens could magnetise a compass needle—something no other colour achieved. This led to the attribution of almost mystical properties to blue glass.
Later, in 1871, American General A. J. Pleasanton argued that sunlight filtered through dark blue glass stimulated the growth of plants and animals. From there, it was only a short leap to the belief that blue-tinted spectacles could benefit human eyesight.
Seeing the World Through a Steampunk Lens
Steampunk is not historical reenactment—it is a dialogue with the past. By appropriating the shapes, materials, and functions of the 19th century, it transforms utilitarian objects into cultural symbols. Steampunk glasses perfectly embody this tension between memory and invention. They recall an era in which seeing often meant enduring: harsh light, speed, dust, cold. At the same time, they reflect our contemporary fascination with a form of technological progress that remains visible, readable, and almost human.
Wearing eyewear inspired by the 19th century is therefore more than an aesthetic choice. It is a way of asserting a particular way of looking at the world—with curiosity, a touch of caution, and a deep affection for machines that tell stories.
