[SUBMITTED PHOTO]These sunglasses and reading spectacles were used by S.H. Lanford in the 1890s. He was a telegrapher in Cloverdale. They were donated to the Botetourt History Museum in 2006 by Madeline Bunn. Walrus ivory with slits in them were worn in prehistoric times to prevent snow blindness, but the first known sunglasses were invented by the Chinese in the 12th century. Today, sunglasses are worn as a fashion statement and to prevent harmful ultraviolet rays from damaging the eyes.
