Like the Timbuk 3 song goes, their futures are so bright, they gotta wear shades! Or, maybe, they want want reasonable UV protection from glaring sun. Or, maybe, they’re just playing with a modern accessory of “cool” to appear more democratic. Whatever the reasons, U.S. presidents are just like the rest of us when it comes to rockin’ the shades.
In researching images of statesmen and sunnies and deciphering why there are so few photos of presidents wearing them, a fascinating history of sunglasses was also revealed. Not only were they not as common as they are today, they also carried hidden meanings and a sense of untrustworthiness those in power maybe wanted to avoid.
The earliest uses of vision-altering eyewear date back to Roman Emperor Nero using colored lenses to heighten the entertainment value of gladiator fights in the 12th century. Chinese judges used them to disguise their emotions and reactions, much like poker players today, in conducting trials. In the 1600s, Italian opticians discovered certain color lenses could assist impaired vision, mostly by adjusting contrast.
With the rise of syphilis in the Victorian era came light sensitivity and the occasionally rotting nose. Tinted eyewear eased the pain of sunlight and offered a nose-cover solution to those nasally affected by the sexually transmitted disease. With this face fashion accessory also came the association with illicit, sinful sex, thus stalling the popularity and evolution of sunglasses.
It was not until the 20th century when the practical uses of tinted eyewear resurfaced. Picking up on the Italian discovery of vision contrasting yellow lenses and glare reduction of green lenses, Baush and Lomb and Ray Ban both developed lens wear (including polarized lenses) for U.S. air fighter pilots to aid their closer-to-the-sun piloting.
Sunglasses began being mass produced and sold to the public in the 1920s, and were worn by glamorous Hollywood starlets in the ’30s to block the bright lights of flash bulbs and hide their “celebrity.” The famous identities they were trying to hide is actually what brought shades to the masses when people saw their glamorous pictures in magazines like Look and Time, particularly with women. For men, it was the heroic element of a post-war fighter pilot that made wearing aviator glasses trendy.
Not ones to set trends on the Oval Office, our first shades-wearing U.S. presidents mostly wore them for practical purposes, and rarely—if ever—while conducting official business in front of press cameras. As a five-star Army General, it’s no surprise Eisenhower donned the badass sunglasses look of fighter pilots, and perhaps to hide behind the steely façade they created. With a more open door to press in candid Camelot moments, it was not uncommon to see John Kennedy sporting sunnies while lounging with his family. And who could forget Bill Clinton’s publicity stunt on the Arsenio Hall show in an effort to pander to the youth vote—rockin’ a pair of Risky Business shades and playing the saxophone?
Just in time for the sunny patriotic holiday, here are the last 13 U.S. presidents who donned sunglasses since the rise of their popularity (and one who couldn’t wear them, and who who was “too cool for school” to be caught wearing them).
President Franklin Roosevelt blocking the bright Gulf of Mexico glare bouncing of the water surface while fishing for tarpon on May 10, 1937.
Everett Collection Historical / Alamy Stock Photo
President Harry Truman was unable to wear sunglasses due to the nature of his thick-glassed prescription spectacles. While vacationing in Key West, Florida, his “shades” solution was often to wear hats instead.
Everett Collection Inc./Alamy
Looking stronger than steel and sturdy as a fighter pilot, Army General Eisenhower (who was elected president later that year) meets General Matthew Ridgway in Paris, France, on May 27, 1952.
Keystone Pictures USA/Alamy
President Kennedy with his sunnies perched on his head and reading The New York Times aboard the family yacht in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in 1963.
Everett Collection Inc./Alamy
President Lyndon B. Johnson reads a memo while swimming with his dog Yuki and grandson at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas, on Aug. 27, 1968.
White House Photo / Alamy Stock Photo
Not one to be caught sporting sunglasses during official presidential business, nor during candid moments, it is possible this is the closest President Nixon ever got to a pair of shades--arguably the most famous sunglasses in history—on the face of Elvis Presley during a White House visit on Dec. 20, 1970. This meeting was the result of Elvis requesting the title “Federal Agent-at-Large” in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
Oliver F. Atkins/Nixon Presidential Library
Serving as a Navy Athletic Officer in WWII, it is no surprise President Ford rocked some shades and a U.S. Marine Corp sweatshirt on the tennis court during his presidency in September 1974.
White House/LIFE Images Collection/Getty
President Carter pulls on his hip boots prior to doing some fly fishing on Crane Creek in Jackson, Wyoming, on Aug. 28, 1978.
AP
President Reagan wearing a smart pair of yellow sunglasses while doing chores at his Rancho Del Cielo home in California on Aug. 31, 1985.
Everett Collection Historical / Alamy Stock Photo
President-elect George H. W. Bush wearing tinted spectacle covers while out in boat during fishing vacation in the Florida Keys on Jan. 16, 1989.
Cynthia Johnson/LIFE Image Collection/Getty
Seen here trying on a pair of souvenir shades at an election rally in St. Louis, Missouri, on Oct. 10, 1992, soon-to-be President Clinton knew how to “play to the people” with a bit of fun.
Tim Clary/AFP/Getty
President Bush borrowed some “cool” and the sunglasses of U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Steven Volk during the during commencement ceremonies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, on May 23, 2007.
EPA/Alamy
Taking a break of the bustle and bright snows of Washington, D.C., President Obama peeks over his sunglasses at the menu of shaved ice treats at Island Snow in Kailua, Hawaii, on Dec. 21, 2010.
Alex Brandon/AP
