Inventive Slitted Snow Goggles Made of Wood by the Iñupiat People of Alaska

Snow Goggles
image via Portland Art Museum

The Iñupiat people of Alaska live in an area often covered in snow. While store-bought sunglasses are generally used today to combat snow blindness, Iñupiat people of the past creatively carved inventive snow goggles out of wood with narrow slits to protect eyes from light reflecting off snow.

The pair shown above—made around the year 1900—are available for viewing in the Native American Art collection at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon.

Snow Goggles
image via Iñupiat Heritage Center

via Portland Art Museum

Rebecca Escamilla
Rebecca Escamilla

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