Which was the first Shop to start dispensing the Spectacles?
Who are the OLDEST Surviving Opticians / firms ?
Which Establishmenst can be considered as Milestones in the History of our profession ?
BTW.We are in Retail since 1935. I am the Gen 3.
:)
Which was the first Shop to start dispensing the Spectacles?
Who are the OLDEST Surviving Opticians / firms ?
Which Establishmenst can be considered as Milestones in the History of our profession ?
BTW.We are in Retail since 1935. I am the Gen 3.
:)
The following link will give you a little bit of B & L's US history; their first optical shop was opened in 1853. They invented the first Vulcanite frame in the mid 1800's.
If you scroll down the page, you will find the history of SOLA from 1968 to 1980.
American Optical:
- The following link will take you to Dick Whitney's history of American Optical from 1826 to 2002. http://web.meganet.net/dickwhitney/AOEVENTS.pdf
- AO's History Home Page: http://web.meganet.net/dickwhitney/R...toryIndex.html
Ophthalmic use of radiation:
Sandee,
Do you mean spectacles w/ lenses in them ? I think the Chineese folks were wearing spectacles as "eye jewelry" (what a concept!) more than 300 years before lenses were glazed into them.
Of course, if I'm incorrect, it wouldn't be the first time !
Johns,
It looks like you are correct. The Chinese used early spectacles to keep evil spirits away.
Sandeep, more history links for you:The only first optical shop I could find for you was the first Optician in Hawaii.
- History of eyeglasses: WHAT MAN DEVISED THAT HE MIGHT SEE
- Carl Zeiss - A History of a Most Respected Name in Optics
- Eye-Glass Museum - Pieve di Cadore - Italy
- Pioneers in Optics: Ernst Abbe
I think this may be the reason that it is hard to put your thumb on the first official optician. Initially, eyeglasses were sold at jewelry stores, watchmakers and I believe by travelling salesmen.The first Island shop to sell eyeglasses was the Honolulu jewelry store of E. H. Boardman, a watch and chronometer maker, beginning in 1846. It was not until 1879, however, that an O‘ahu businessman advertised himself as an "optician."
http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/microsco.html
I read somewhere that a guy named Abe Lincoln once peddled reading glasses door-to-door prior to entering law school.
I've got a sample kit from that era that is dated 1837.
I believe John Dollond and Mr Aitchison were in partnership as Dollond and Aitchison Opticians in the 1750's in London.
In 1784, at the age of 78 and by then a devout presbyope (although he probably thought of himself as a luke warm presbyterian :bbg:), and frustrated with the inconvenience of constantly removing his single vision spectacles, Ben Franklin invented bi-focals.
(Link to Ben Franklin Timeline)
Does anyone have any idea who dispensed his original glasses or when he started wearing them?
Terry
P.S. A few years ago, while visiting a client in Texas, the lab manager mentioned that he had to make a pair of "Ben Franklins" for a client of his. I had never heard of this process before let alone witnessed it. He proceded to make a pair of bifocal specs in the same manner that Franklin did, by cutting two lenses of different power in half and glueing the bottom half of the higher powered lens to the top half of the weaker powered lens! I can't remember if there was any reason other than nostalgia for doing it that way. Neither can I remember if the lens halves were already finished, or it they were just semi-finished blanks.
:)
If you wish to make a bifocal with the following Rx:
DV: R: +2.00+1.00 30 2OUT
L: +1.50+1.50 20 2OUT
NV: R: +4.50+1.00 30 2IN
L: +4.00+1.50 20 2IN
you will need a Franklin split.
We still use Franklin split bifocals for those unusual patients who require very different prescriptions at distance and near as John has indicated>
I understand ladies of the Spanish court in the 1600's would wear unglazed spectacle frames as they were regarded as fashion items.
Could well be the first "optician" we would recognise as such was operating in Europe rather than UK or US.
Who made the first hidabevel (contrary to the V bevel) and when?????
:hammer:
Thanks for the education! Is there anything in the above Rx other than the opposite direction prisms that would require a Franklin spit?John Tickner said:
If you wish to make a bifocal with the following Rx:
DV: R: +2.00+1.00 30 2OUT
L: +1.50+1.50 20 2OUT
NV: R: +4.50+1.00 30 2IN
L: +4.00+1.50 20 2IN
you will need a Franklin split.
How close to the "segment line" would the near and far OCs be?
Wouldn't there be a lot of lens overhang at the point where the two halves come together? Did they have a way of minimizing this?
Terry
(sorry if this is off topic)
:bbg:
As long as your optical centers are on the line your ok. In those days they gave a "hoot" about any overhangs.Optical Plumber said:
How close to the "segment line" would the near and far OCs be?
Wouldn't there be a lot of lens overhang at the point where the two halves come together? Did they have a way of minimizing this?
:hammer:
Prism and power correction are the only two reasons.. and remember most of this has been replaced by new technology, haveing adds with prism only, bicentric surfacing, stop cutting plus cyl's etc., etc..Optical Plumber said:
Thanks for the education! Is there anything in the above Rx other than the opposite direction prisms that would require a Franklin split?
Technically we can place that optical center any where we wanted when surfacing in relation to where we would combine the franklin seg line...say the oc we wanted was going to be five above, so when you neutralized that lens at five above you would have the cross at the compound prism point you wanted, at five above that seg and you looked through your lensometer than the compound cross would be two out..or what ever the number was in the example..How close to the "segment line" would the near and far OCs be?
Wouldn't there be a lot of lens overhang at the point where the two halves come together? Did they have a way of minimizing this?
(sorry if this is off topic)
:bbg:
For over hang if the person doing the finishing is any good and plans ahead this is not to much of a problem, I have done a number of them over the years, can't say they are the funniest things in the world to do but it does take a little practice :-)
Jeff Trail
I've got 2 pair of Franklin splits from...(?).
One is in a brass frame with telescoping temples, and is in a custom made "coffin case" w/ a hinged, half-side lid.
The other is made of some kind of animal horn that I bought in an outside market in Hong Kong back in 1986. They guessed it was a "few hundred" year old (of course).
Any guesses ?
We would love to see a picture if you can arrange it!Johns said:
I've got 2 pair of Franklin splits from...(?).
One is in a brass frame with telescoping temples, and is in a custom made "coffin case" w/ a hinged, half-side lid.
The other is made of some kind of animal horn that I bought in an outside market in Hong Kong back in 1986. They guessed it was a "few hundred" year old (of course).
Any guesses ?
Terry
Optical plumber:
I plan on giving myself a digital camera for Christmas. Everybody tells me how simple they are to use, but they don't konw me. Hopefully I can get some pictures posted by the first part of the year !
-Johns
The company I work for has been around since 1885, S. Galeski Optical Co.
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