Founded in 1937 after lieutenant John MacCready had returned from a balloon flying adventure, complaining that the sun had done permanent damage to his eyes. He contacted Bausch & Lomb asking them to create a type of sunglasses that would not only provide superb protection, but also look elegant. On May 7, 1937, Bausch & Lomb officially took out the patent.
By 1941, the sunglasses had become popular with Naval aviators. Army Air Force aviators preferred the smaller, more-squarish, American optical, straight-temple glasses, which can be put on and removed even while wearing a flying helmet. The design was also popular as the bar across the bridge of the nose allowed them to keep a cigarette on it.
The Wayfarer was designed in 1952 by Raymond Stegeman, an inventor responsible for many earlier Ray-Ban styles. The design was a radically