The first Ray-Ban model originally designed for U.S. Army Air Corps pilots was the Aviator. Its roots were in aviation sunglasses developed by Bausch & Lomb to reduce glare and improve visibility at high altitude.
The story began with Colonel John A. Macready, who worked with Bausch & Lomb from 1929 on eyewear that could shield pilots from the sky’s harsh blue and white light. A plastic-framed prototype called “Anti-Glare” appeared in 1936 and went on sale commercially in 1937. The design was remodeled with a metal frame in 1938 and promoted as the Ray-Ban Aviator.
Its distinctive teardrop lenses were functional, not merely stylish. They provided broad coverage and accommodated pilots who frequently looked downward at instrument panels. Early versions also used a brow bar and flexible cable temples, features associated with military flight eyewear.
A common mix-up is treating “Aviator” as the name of the original military specification itself. The U.S. military used designations such as AN6531, while “Ray-Ban Aviator” was Bausch & Lomb’s commercial branding. The style later became a civilian fashion icon, especially after wartime photographs of General Douglas MacArthur wearing similar glasses.