Poor eyesight is not a new medical issue. Rather surprisingly, glasses are not a particularly new invention, either! Most people credit the Italians for inventing the two lenses joined over the nose that we call glasses.... probably around 1300 or so. This pair is not that old, but you'll see the design hasn't changed much. This is a really strong pair of magnifying lenses. Imagine the farmer donning them to read the Almanac after dinner, or a woman putting on her glasses so she could see to do needlework. These are basically what we call today "cheaters!"