<P> Ray - Ban is a brand of sunglasses and eyeglasses founded in 1937 by the American company Bausch & Lomb . The brand is best known for their Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses . In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to the Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group, for a reported US $640 million . </P> <P> In 1929, US Army Air Corps Colonel John A. Macready worked with Bausch & Lomb, a Rochester, New York - based medical equipment manufacturer, to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky . Specifically, MacCready was concerned about how pilots' goggles would fog up, greatly reducing visibility at high altitude . The prototype, created in 1936 and known as' Anti-Glare', had plastic frames and green lenses that could cut out the glare without obscuring vision . They also added impact - resistant lenses in 1938 . The sunglasses were redesigned with a metal frame the following year and patented as the Ray - Ban Aviator . According to the BBC, the glasses used "Kalichrome lenses designed to sharpen details and minimise haze by filtering out blue light, making them ideal for misty conditions ." </P> <P> In 1999, the Global Eyewear Division of Bausch & Lomb, including Ray - Ban was acquired by Luxottica Group for US $640 million . </P> <P> Ray - Ban's most popular sunglasses are the Wayfarer, and Aviator models . During the 1950s, Ray - Ban released the Caravans, which had a squarer frame . In 1965, the Olympian I and II were introduced; they became popular when Peter Fonda wore them in the 1969 film Easy Rider . The company has also produced special edition lines, such as The General in 1987, bearing similarity to the original aviators worn by General Douglas MacArthur during the Second World War . </P>

Where did the name ray ban come from