Mirrors have become such a commonplace object in our lives that we often take them for granted. It's almost as if we don't even realize how many mirrors surround us, or how frequently we gaze into their reflective surfaces each day. They have become commercialized, transformed into a necessity. We feel compelled to see our own reflections, to assess our appearance. Yet, there was a time when mirrors did not exist. Can you imagine a world without mirrors adorning your home or car? Mirrors have now become an integral part of our daily existence, seamlessly integrated into our lives as car windows, store entrances, and even phone screens. They have become indispensable, offering us glimpses into our own reflections at every turn.
The mirror as we know it today was created back in 1835. Justus von Liebig came up with a way to make it by adding a coating of silver nitrate to clear glass. These days, though, people often use aluminum instead.
But before this, we had the evolution of mirrors in somewhat the following order:
So, back in the day, the Mayans, ancient Chinese, Ancient Egyptians, and other cultures actually had mirrors, but they weren't like the ones we have now. They were heavy, super unique, and a pain to make so they were mostly for royalty. They were usually made out of shiny copper, obsidian, or even lead. These mirrors were handheld and could only reflect about 20% of the light they got. So you could barely see details, maybe just enough to adjust something of your silhouette like a crown.
above is an obsidian mirror
above is an egyptian metal mirror
above is an ancient japanese mirror
In Italy during the 15th to 16th century, the Venetian mirror made its debut. These mirrors were crafted from Murano glass and resembled the mirrors we use nowadays. However, they were made with the addition of mercury, which we now understand to be harmful.
Before any of these modern developments, people depended on water bodies to show them what they looked like, which gives a distorted reflection of the image. Why are mirrors so widely used?... I guess, everyone else can see what you look like, so why shouldn’t you?
Fun fact: Mirrors aren't just for reflecting light, sound and matter. They can also split light beams and even bounce back sound. There are these cool mirrors called "acoustic mirrors" that were used in Britain during World War II. They were used to catch specific sounds from enemy planes and stuff.
Now go listen to the masterpiece of a song and video - Mirrors by Justin Timberlake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuZE_IRwLNI 🤍
