China's eyeglasses, has a long history, Chinese and foreign historical records of the earliest origin of eyeglasses in China, is the heritage of China's ancient culture, medical treatment, and technology. Its development and changes have gone through thousands of years of history.
We say that eyeglasses were introduced from China to foreign countries, and it is well documented that they were introduced at the end of the 13th century. In Western countries, the first appearance of glasses is exactly in the late 13th century. At that time there was an Italian, named Marco Polo (Marco Pol6), he had been living in a small country for seventeen years, for the Yuan dynasty court office, running all over China, when he saw the Yuan dynasty court people wear glasses, in which he was very interested in his return to the country on the glasses to the West, so the earliest manufacture of eyeglasses in the West, the hometown of Marco Polo date Venice. In addition, in Marco Polo's travels also contains accounts of elderly people wearing glasses to read novels and small print.
The most primitive eyeglasses are originated from the lens (magnifying glass), its manufacture, application and the emergence of optical lenses are closely related. According to legend, the initial discovery of glasses can make the object like the principle of optical refraction of magnification is in daily life by chance. At that time, someone saw a drop of rosin resin crystals happen to have a mosquito was caught in which, through the rosin crystal ball, see this mosquito body size is very large, which inspired people to the role of optical refraction of the understanding, and then the use of natural crystals faceted into a convex lens to magnify the tiny objects, used to seek solutions to the difficulties of people's eyesight. This is China's eyeglasses of the dimensional shape of the period.
According to "The World's Best": "It was in 2283 BC that the Chinese emperor observed the stars through a lens meter. Eyeglasses were transmitted from China to foreign countries. According to Confucius (551?79 B.C.), people in China wore eyeglasses made of crystals and other transparent minerals to heal their eyes or shield them from the sun.
Preliminary evidence: the history of lenses and eyeglasses, China as early as the Warring States period (2,300 years ago), Mozi l 5 volumes, which contains Mozi a lot of light and on the flat and mirrors, convex mirrors, concave mirrors of the exposition. Three concave century B.C. China's ancient people through the lens to get fire. Zhang Heng in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty discovered the moon's waxing and waning and the initial causes of lunar and solar eclipses, also with the help of lenses.
China's oldest eyeglasses are water or transparent minerals made of round monocular mirror (i.e., now magnifying glass), legend has it that the store generation of the great literati Zhu Zhishan had used such glasses, in the Song Dynasty, some people used crystal mirror to cover the sun to improve eyesight.
The Ming Dynasty until now has been called "glasses".
In the Yuan Dynasty of the 13th century, China was able to utilize the refractive index of crystals to make eyeglasses to help solve the difficulty of insufficient vision, but not many people wore eyeglasses at that time. Xuande years of the Ming Dynasty [14!6 a.d. 1435 years), began to have a "single light" mirror (similar to the current magnifying glass) in view of the processing technology at that time, only presbyopia, and is limited to the circulation of the court, the emperor is often given to the elderly ministers as a royal gift to correct the defects of visual acuity presbyopia. After this, eyeglasses have entered the life of mankind. Later, in order to facilitate the use of some of the lenses sewn on the hat, some mounted in the iron ring.
The sixteenth century began to appear in the bridge of the nose on the double lens, in the frame at both ends of the line on the line hanging in the ear. After the production of spectacle frames continue to improve, gradually from complex and simple, out of the rough to exquisite. Frames have paper rings, lacquer leather, lunch angle, tortoiseshell, copper ring and so on.
These different frames until the late Qing Dynasty, began to use the foot instead of the mirror, which is both beautiful and convenient, so that appeared to wear eyeglasses (glasses) for the fashionable tide. Qing dynasty Qianlong, Li Xingnan's "in the river bamboo stick word" scarf has "young people do not exhaust the state of the wind, Li Cong oblique peep red powder makeup" sentence, is to wear glasses for the fashionable people in the south of the Yangtze River, but also in the wedding ceremony, the bride on the tinted glasses to cover the shyness of the face.
China's limited mirror material and the evolution of the form, is with the progress of the times and industrial, handicraft production development and change. From the evolution of the form of glasses and frames (frame), the oldest glasses in our country only a lens, without rim, hand-held use. Later, in order to hand-held convenience, the lens with wood (after the metal) for the frame, fixed in a single-handled frame, still hand-held use (such as today's single-handled magnifying glass.). To the time of the Ming Dynasty, the small country of Gusu (now Suzhou) above the mountain area, made of crystal lenses, is mounted on a single handle on the copper frame, called the single fear of glasses. Suzhou is our country's crystal glasses production of the place of prosperity, passed down through the ages, sold throughout the country, and overseas.
With the progress and development of the times, due to the use of single-handled glasses is not convenient, the beginning of the two single mirror through the pin or riveted together, such as Figure 1 in the rotating axis can be up and down the split, with a rope hanging in the head or hat, but also the use of pressure to clip it on the bridge of the nose to use. The oldest frame (frame) is made of wood, paper, animal horns, leather and tortoiseshell and other materials, and then successively developed to the use of gold materials such as; copper, iron, gold, silver and modern alloys, gold-plated, gold-encrusted, K gold, stainless steel and plastic materials. The shape of the early glasses are round or oval, some only rim without footwear; some have legs are not like the modern style of glasses.
For example: the footless frame is folded: (i.e., with a silk rope over the ear to use) the legs of the footed frame is also folded: its mirror box are papier-maché, after the paint is also very sophisticated. Can be hung on the belt as a decoration, its style has a round, oval two kinds. (Such as Figure 1 date 2) In addition, there are glasses supporting the mirror set, mirror bag, mainly for the protection of glasses and easy to carry role.
The formation and development of China's eyeglasses industry can be roughly divided into three stages of historical development.
The formation of the industry club in the Ming and Qing dynasties
In the history of China (about 14th and 17th centuries), with the development of individual handicrafts, spectacles material from natural crystal stone to the use of glass after the development of the use of spectacles began to promote the use of the scope of the private sector and to expand, the production of technology has also been a new development.
Chinese Gusu (Suzhou) is the birthplace of China's eyeglasses, the production of eyeglasses in Suzhou not only has a long history, but also the development of China's eyeglasses industry has played a great role in promoting. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1628 AD＞, Suzhou glasses history mountain now an outstanding skill marshal, named Sun Yunqiu, the word Wenyu, and the word Sibin, originally from Wujiang. He was diligent and studious since he was a child, and at that time he saw that people with poor eyesight suffered a lot, but it was inconvenient to use "single-photograph" mirrors and the like. So he eliminated the heart to develop a kind of lens which can be often set on the eyes. After repeated trials, he invented and created a lens grinding machine by utilizing the mechanical principle - the pulling trolley. This draft car, is the so-called classical method of processing the water orange, is a foot pedal rotation, the use of ore sand, white clay, brick ash, etc. as abrasive or polishing materials, grinding the lens into a convex-concave lens to adapt to the eye refractive needs, and finally finally mastered the "grinding" technology. He finally mastered the technique of "grinding lenses" by grinding lenses with natural crystal stones. At the same time, he also mastered the technology of "light"
now called optometry), according to the age of people and different visual acuity developed presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia and other varieties as well as a variety of luminous lenses, and compiled a set of "with the eyes to the mirror" of the original optometry method! The Used to check the eyes with the border. This can be with the eyes with the glasses, the effect is not bad, wear on the face is also more convenient and comfortable to adapt to the needs of the vision of each person, which is the beginning of our country's main sense of optometry with the realm.
Later. Sun Yunqiu invented and developed different uses of optical lenses, there are hundreds of mirrors, mandarin ducks mirror, magnifying mirror, multi-faceted mirror, phantom mirror, dozens of kinds of mirrors. From then on, Sun Yunqiu manufactured glasses famous all over the world. Unfortunately, such an accomplished technical talent died of illness at the age of 33. But he left a scientific and technological work named n4 "Mirror History". To promote the later generations of eyeglasses manufacturing technology, plays an immeasurable role.
Following Sun Yun-ball to the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong, Jiaqing years, Suzhou and a manufacturing glasses talent, named Chu Sanshan. He further developed the technology of manufacturing eyeglasses, quite influential.
Because of Sun Yunqiu and Chu Sanshan, the two outstanding technical talents in manufacturing eyeglasses, which promoted the formation and development of the eyeglasses industry in Suzhou at that time. In 1735, there were already handmade workshops specializing in the production of spectacles in Suzhou.
By the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the production and sale of eyeglasses had flourished in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Tianjin, Guangzhou and other places. Glasses have become a specialized commodity.
2. The smooth rise of the spectacles industry in the late Qing Dynasty
Since the Opium War in I 840, the Western technology of prescription glasses was introduced to our country, which opened up a new way for the stubbornness of the spectacles industry. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the first Englishman John Goddard (J. hnGoddard), opened the "Goddard foreign firm" in Shanghai, specializing in machine grinding and inspection glasses. After that, other foreigners followed. Such as TobiM (TobiM) opened the "Mingjing foreign bank", British Jews Lei Maodun (Ram5 than n) opened the "Lei Maodun foreign bank" and so on.
After that, in 19th year, the Chinese once opened "China Lean Optical Company" in "Gould's Foreign Bank" with fund-raising. As a result of the opening of the Lean Optical Company, China's optical industry has a new development. Especially in the optometry, there was a great reform:
①The old store was abolished and the optometry technology of combining subject and object was adopted.
9 eliminated the method of making lenses by purely manual operation, set up mechanical grinding and processing equipment, and developed the grinding technology, which not only could grind all kinds of lenses with different properties and specifications, but also began to produce all kinds of frames (shelves) under self-manufacturing supervision.
3 In the inspection, grinding, cutting, mounting, correcting, making and other technologies, as a result of the use of some foreign new technology and equipment, and thus trained a generation of professionals making glasses, for China's eyeglasses industry will soon form a new technical team, laying a solid foundation.
Because the glasses produced by Lean Optical Company were adapted to the needs of our people and sold at a price lower than that of foreign goods, the company soon occupied the market in the country and opened branches all over the country. By the time of the First World War, Lean Optical Company had opened branches in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Jinan, Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin, Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Hankou, Changsha, Nanchang, Kaifeng, Guangzhou, Chongqing and other eighteen places.
Before the war, the Lean Eye Basket Company's products, but also won awards at the Panama Universal Exposition. In 1919. Mr. Sun Yat-sen visited the Guangzhou branch of Lean Optical Basket Company and wrote an inscription: "Striving for excellence".
Before and after 1935. In addition to Lean Optical Company, several large professional optical companies were opened in Shangmei, including "Maochang Optical Company, Wu Liangcai Optical Company" and so on. These professional glasses are equipped with advanced optometry equipment and lens processing grinding, cutting edge special machines.
At the same time, the eyeglasses industry in Beijing also developed greatly. Beijing has opened the Shenchang Watch and Eyeglasses Company, the Da Ming Eyewear Company (the first one in the world), the second one in the world. Da Ming Optical Company (founded in 1937) and so on, all of which had lens processing workshop in front of and behind the store respectively. At the same time, the original old-fashioned production mode of cottage industry workshops, but also with the development of more and more, and constantly innovate their production techniques, the use of some foreign imported materials, so that the old-style glasses in the form of trying to update. From then on. Beijing's eyeglasses industry is more prosperous and developed, and then set up the eyeglasses trade unions. Coordination of the whole industry **** with the matter. This is the general formation process of the spectacles industry in Beijing in old China.
3. Changes and leaps in the eyeglasses industry after the establishment of New China
Old China. The development of the spectacles industry, although the initial scale, and there are industry clubs or industry associations and other industrial organizations, but in its production and distribution are private stores and family workshops, most of its products are decorative for the ruling class, production is not much, expensive, and therefore the development of slow invasion. Especially the production industry. Until the eve of liberation, the national production of eyeglasses manufacturers are only a few, are a family, production workers more than ten JL individuals, less than one or two people, and the production process is very backward, poor product quality, monotonous varieties, decades of consistency.
After the founding of New China, under the guidance of the Party's correct line, the production of glasses began to be handmade by small family workshops, and gradually to the organization of cooperative production of small enterprises. For example, in Beijing, there were not many eyeglasses industry and commerce before cooperativization and public-private partnership.
Industry has nearly one hundred small workshops, employing about 270 people; business *** there are 39 specialized and part-time stores, employing less than 300 people, of which there are only ten (i.e.: Jingyi, Daiming, Dongfang, Jingming, Changming, Siming, Baolong, Liu Mingzhai, Sun Yimliangchangjie)
has a production workshop in the front and a production factory behind the store, and the spectacle lenses processing workshop attached to the ophthalmology department of the Tongren Hospital, and *** there are 46 production workers. , *** There are 46 production workers.
With the rapid development of China's economic construction, the eyeglasses industry has also been vigorously developed. In terms of industry, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and other major places of origin have a certain scale of production base for eyeglasses. For example, Shanghai Optical Factory No.1, Shanghai Optical Factory No.2, Beijing Optical Factory, Beijing 608 Factory, Beijing 603 Factory, Suzhou Optical Factory and so on have become the large-scale backbone of China's eyeglasses industry, and their scales are all nearly 1,000 national medium-sized enterprises. The quantity, quality and supporting capacity of its members are the first in the country, and some of its products are municipal or national high-quality products, and some of its famous brand products have been exported for many years. Marketing nationwide, famous at home and abroad.
In addition, some defense industry enterprises, instrumentation industry also has some enterprises turn to the glasses industry production and processing, commercial service sector also continue to expand or increase sales outlets and add optometry L equipment, instruments. Some cities also attach great importance to theoretical education. For example, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chongqing, etc. also set up a short training course for spectacles technology and professional technical schools for the spectacles industry to cultivate a large number of professional and technical personnel.
In April 1985, the Ministry of Light Industry led by the advocacy of the National Optical Industry in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, held the National Optical Industry "China Optical Association" Founding Conference. To the meeting of the collective member enterprises *** there are 140 pro-enterprises, of which there are 85 large-scale backbone enterprises, respectively under the Ministry of Light Industry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Machinery Industry, the Ministry of Weapons Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health and the State Science and Technology Commission; respectively, in 14 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and other 31 cities; *** there are 27,237 employees. Among them, the technical staff l 393 people: 15 units with more than 500 people, 29 units with 200 a 500 people, and 41 units with less than 200 people o By economic nature: 15 national enterprises, 49 collective enterprises, township and village enterprises Io, and a number of Sino-foreign joint ventures. These 85 units *** have net fixed assets of 145.22 million yuan, the 1984 annual production capacity of: 20.18 million pairs of mirror frames, (of which 5.9 million pairs of metal frames). Lenses 16.09 million pairs, 16.94 million pairs of blanks; total output value of 140 million yuan, total sales I.9 billion yuan. The total profit is 34.49 million yuan, and the annual export of frames and lenses is 1.5 million pairs, and the exchange rate is 750,000 dollars. Spectacles Association was established more than a year after nearly a hundred factories, business applications to join the Association, to the end of 1986 has been developed to 240 collective member enterprises, **** more than 30,000 employees
China's glasses industry development, is after thousands of years of development and change. So far, it has formed a large industry with a certain scale and a certain supporting production capacity, which has become an indispensable part of the whole national economy and has made due contributions to the country and the people.