Ophthalmic Antiques

The Journal of the Ophthalmic Antiques lnternational Collectors'Club

Issue 15 1 Est. 1982 April 2020

OPHTFIA.LNTIC ANTIQUES

lmportant information regarding AGM and Antique Vision 2020

See:

Two museums. Above; The Kett Museum, Melbourne, Australia (p 13) Chairman's Chat (p2)

Below: The Contact Lens Museum, Oregon, (p USA 1a) Noticeboard (p3)

A lover's eye (back page) t I ll I I I T lt I lr lr n T T:

Above: Landolt ophthalmoscope - see it exploded (p a); Left: Spots before the eyes (p 7) Editorial

The last issue of OA,Ihe 150th, was an exercise in both looking back at how far the Club and its journal have progressed since its foundation in 1982 and an optimistic look forward to what the next 150 issues might showcase. I hope you enjoyed what was, as always, an excellent mix of articles; some of you even spotted the, ahem, not-quite-deliberate mistake on the front cover which relocated the issue a year back in time. No doubt the error will provide a useful quiz question at some future Club supper quiz (there's an idea, Mr Chairman...).

Unforhrnately, all most of us can think about at the moment is how we're all going to get through the disruptions caused by this horrible coronavirus pandemic. If you are reading your copy of OA now, hopefully it will provide a short respite from the daily diet of doom and gloom news, particularly if you are having to remain isolated at home. When I think of how widespread our international Club membership is, I would like to think that, in holding your copy of OA, you can in some small measure feel the link to the fellowship of our Club.

This is in no way to underplay the seriousness of the current situation but, if you are off work and/or isolated at home, I'm sure there is an opportunity for those with collections to attend to them (which would normally coincide with the advent of Spring when a spot of spring-cleaning was a time still to be looked forward to...). Likewise whether you have a collection or not, why not have a rummage through those draws that you kept meaning to clear out but never got around to sorting through: unexpected treasure may be lurking there! Ald hopefully you will hnd time to write another (or even your first) article for submission to OA - and yes, that is my usual plea for material. Finally, please all take good care of yourselves and your loved ones at this difficult time. Who knows how we will all be or how the global situation will have developed in a few months' time but, hopefully, there will be some light at the end of the tunnel and another new issue of Ol hnding its way onto your doormat to bring'a little light into your day.

David Baker

Chairmanrs Chat

2020 AGM and joint meeting with the OHS April 23-26 CANCELLED

It is with great sadness that I must report the 2020 AGM and Auction in April has been cancelled due to the restrictions and precautions necessarily imposed by the present coronavirus pandemic. This also includes the preceding meeting of the OHS, jointly marketed as'2020 AntiqueVision'.

Restrictions on travel and the risk to members' health gives us no option, although we hope to reschedule the OAICC AGM and Auction later this year, should it be possible.

We shall keep optimistic that the Club visit mentioned in this issue will be possible and in part alleviate the disappointment for everyone who planned to join us in London in April. I would ask for your patience and thank you in advance for your patience while we unwind the joint event's planning and fees.

With best wishes and stay well in these uncerlain times.

John Dixon Salt

Club website

A reminder to check out the Club website now and again. Note that lots for the lorthcoming auction, should it be rescheduled, can be found in the 'Future Events' section: https://oaicc.com/future-events/ Noticeboard

Forthcoming Fairs As is now the custom, below is given the link to the relevant page on the Antques Atlas website, which gives a fairly comprehensive listing of forthcomrng events:

https ://www. antiques-atlas. com/dbevents/

Meetings The 2020 Club AGM and Auction will not now be held on Sunday 26 April at The College of Optometrists, 42 Craven Street, London V/C2N 5NG. A rescheduled date might be possible.

The 2020 Antique Vison event of the Ocular Heritage Society is, unfortunately, cancelled.

*Please refer to 'Chairman's Chat' on the previous page.

But possibly... With 2020 being such a significant number in the world of optics, we could not pass on the chance of combining our annual Club visit, normally held towards the end of the year, with that of our colleagues from the OHS whose last visit to-the UK was in 1995.

This has left a long gap in our events calendar so we are looking at a small informal trip to a number of members' collections in the Autumn, provisionally around the 21-25 October 2020. Unlike recent organised trips, it is likely to be less intensive being spread over approximately four days, utilising public transport, and with attendees making their own arrangements for accommodation. We are hoping it will be possible for you to dip in and out ol the events, giving you the choice to take parr in as little or much as you wish.

Numbers for the private collections will be limited so we are asking for expressions of interest - completely without commitment at this stage - and iloversubscribed will have to work on a'frrst come' basis.

We hope to include visits to...

Wednesday 21 October: mystery tour (Purely a social non-optical event) * Thursday 22 October: Piet, Bilthoven (near Utrecht) (limited, around 10) Friday 23 October: Paul and Carla, Waalre (near Eindhoven) (limited, 20) Saturday 24 October: Willem, Amsterdam (near the centre) (limited)

Suggestions regarding accommodation and transport will be supplied.

Interested? Please email [email protected] before the closing date of 3 1 May 2020.

* Where? Well express an interest without commitment and find out.

NOTE

In view ofthe current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic difficult decisions have had to be taken regarding the cance'ing:i,'fftriJ;T;ili,:lHi:ffi:1,'ffi1i'lJ,l1il,:..o""J;,-'j above risted dates and Something Different

By Ronald MacGregor

My first picture is an exploded view olthe parts of a Landolt Ophthalmoscope which I found at an antiques fair a few months ago. It is in remarkable condition and appears to have been hardly ever used. This instrument.uvas manufactured by A Cretes of Paris and introduced in 1876. The serial number is '62'. In addition to the usual features of an Ophthalmoscope Landolt designed this instmment for subjective refraction. To make this possible the instrument has a iarger than usual sight-hole at 9mm in diameter, and two Rekoss discs which, combined, provide a choice of 20 convex and 2l concave lens po'uvers. This range can be further ertended with a +1ODS or a -lODS lens clipped to the front of the instrument.

Landolt's intention was that, with the mirror removed, the patient could hold the instrument like a 'lorgnette' or quizzer and dial up the lens which pror,ided the best visual acuity. Landolt's actual wording is, 'The instrument becomes in the hand of the patient a lorgnette with which he determines the visual acuity when reading a test charl.' Involving the patient in this oo way has many drawbacks. The examiner roo still has to remove the mirror and set the range of the instrument. He then has to spend time explaining the procedure to each patient. In tum, the patient has to be dexterous and intelligent. Hygiene is another problem and there are a number of optical and ocular factors which can aflect the accuracy olthe result. rI Exploded view of Landolt ophthalmoscope >

The instrument shown in my two photographs u,'as originally purchased by, or presented to, George P Boddie, physician to St George's and St James's Dispensary in London. This charitable institution was established in 1817 to provide free medicine, advice and care to the needy. From 1845 Dr Boddie also held an appointment as a lecturer. He u,ould have been about retirement age when he received the instrument.

The lamous Swiss Oculist Edmund Landolt (1846-1926) was at one time Senior Physician at the Zurich Eye Clinic but set up his own practice in Paris in1874. He was a serial inventor who is probably best remembered lor the'Landolt C' chart for subjective refraction which used broken rings instead olletters

< Landolt ophthalmoscope with case

The larger of the two perforated minors supplied with the instrument, as shown in both of my pictures, is plano and perforated and would be suitable for retinoscopy in addition to ophthalmoscopy. Retinoscopy (Skiascopy) was in its inlancy in 1876 and Landolt was one of those who developed the technique. In experienced hands it proved to be a quick and accurate objective method of estimating refractive errors. In contrast. using an ophthalmoscope, without retinoscopy, for subj ective refraction as Landolt intended. could be difficult. time-consuming and sometimes impossible.

In conclusion we can say that although Refraction Ophthalmoscopes were not widely adopted, the idea ol using more than one Rekoss disc, in combination, to present a very wide range of lens powers to the eye in compact form, was successfully adopted in 20th century refractor heads. but operated by the examiner only.

Specifications: Length olinstrument 163mm. Size of case 722X51mm. Price in 1876: 45 francs. Price in 2019 of an example for sale on the internet f I 95.

References

The Ophthalnoscope, Hirschberg Historr- of Ophthalmologl,. Published by J.P. Wayenborgh. parl I, Alfred Schett, 1996. part 2, Charles Richard Keeler, \99l .The Refraction Ophthalmoscope of Landolt. Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital Reporls and Journal (Moorfields) 1876, vol.8, pp.650-657, an English translation of Edmund Landolt's own article in French.

With special thanks to Richard Keeler for finding the article written by Landolt. A lesson learnt...

A correspondent who gives his name as Professor M-,-nus O'Fyfty writes'

Oh, the excitement of spotting an old engraving showing a spectacles frame with most unusual sides: The engraving being a copy olErskine Nicol's painting of 1866 entitled, 'KEPT IN' of which there was a series with the same title.

< Expanded detail from Kepl ir b)' Erskine Nicol ( 1866)

Thanks to the ever-useful Neil Handley, the original painting was traced to the New Walk Museum and Art gallery rn Leicester whose curator was kind enough to supply a (copyrighted) close-up photo of spectacles in the painting. Alas, the engraver used a very large amount ol artistic licence on a'standard'pair of extending sides. Moral? How much can we trust the (often anachronistic) depiction of spectacles in early paintings that we often take as gospel?

Advertisement for cricket ... appeal upheld

David Baker wriles Furlher to my article in the last issue ('An advertisement lor cricket... and an appeal', OA150, Jan 2020, p13) Neil Handley has unearthed another advertisement featuring cricket or, at least, a cricketer, for the Algha Sports frame, distributed by M A Wiseman.

_,,r ijar! jr :r :ir Wiseman adverl for Algha Sports frame. in Opliaan. 1960 >

I can neither identifl the cricketer nor his county/country as his cap has no badge and the image, being in black and white ir' does not reveal the colour ofhis sweater bands. He could, of course, be merely a model ... unless anyone knows better?

< Detail olcricketer in Wiseman adverl wilFiAN & 4, tlo " .-"_.lllu. A further reduction

Following on from 'Artist's Reducing Glass - Myth or Fact' (OA I50, Jan 2020, pl l):

A writer inlhe Popular Science Monthly (August 1919) remarks that glasses for the purpose of decreasing the size of the image ... are intended for those whose fate, as late arrivals, consigns them to a front seat in a movie-show.

"'Seats up front', says the usher... but if you sit too near a moving picture the screen folk become monstrous, distorted figures moving around amid a great flickering that hurts the eyes. If you are n the habit of arriving late, you ought to own a pair of moving-picfure spectacles invented by Edward Lamphier, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are made like opera-elasses but have the reverse effect. Opera glasses bring things near; these glasses send things away. Converging lenses are mounted on the outside ends of the frame, and the eye-pieces are adjustably mounted on aluminium tubes within. The movie fan adjusts the eye-pieces to suit his parlicular focal length. A screen hfteen feet away will then seem to be forty-five feet au'ay and flickering is reduced."

From The American Encyclopedia of Ophthalmolog (pp 12011-11023)

E, A, LAI\4 PHIEA,

OPT ICAI. I NSTR iJ iilEI'T. AP/LlCATt0rl t:iIt tPn.26, r9tl 1,293,915. I'atented Nor', i,191&

Patent for Lamphier's 'reducing glasses' >

tl " T, q-U- d r. ucator t EDnhPD A LAMptitil2 ")A)'let* -i- I n, 1&/1,AfZ<-( dito:re6 Spots before the Eyes By John Dixon Salt

Herman Snellen may be remembered by most only as the originator of the modem graduated letter chart but the second edition of his publication'Test-types for the determination of the acuteness of vision'printed in 1864 shows charts composed of various patterns, amongst them being:

Snerlen'sPatternB> |l t I ttl I-! lIr I lri trl att < rl:l Snellen's Pattern A - tlt -I tfl ;r- rii{lI tlrltr I- fir t rlrut - al r frr rt - tlt I- .*lr lt I -I ltt lo I rlr{tr I lI t I tir - atr tl tt -E {,tr Snellen's Pattern C > - ta oa t r- I- I ttt tal I ah U rlr rar .:t x .fr t - I tr -

The method of use and target trade for pattern A, I have yet to discover although L Wolffberg in Graefe's Archiv fur Ophthalmologie, (vol 77, p409) constructed a chart consisting ol four black squares arranged around a white square of equal size, with one black square containing a white dot whose diameter was 1/3 olthat of the square. The observer was presumably required to identifu in which square the white dot was placed: Wollfberq's squares/dot pattems > ++ Pattem B was used by the Army Medical School on recruits: 'For the British Army the required test is that the recruit must be able to see distinctly, and with each eye separately, the round dots (Snellen's) of l/5inch diameter (0.2 inch) at 10 feet distance... For various deparlments of the army, clerks, etc, and for the militia, it is only required to see the test dots at 5 feet'

This was soon replaced by Pattern C:

'Each Test-dot is 1 -5th of an inch square and corresponds, at a distance of 1 5 feet, with the Bull's eye, 2 feet square at 600 yards, required by order to be distinctly seen by every acceptable recruit.' ... 'With perfectly acute vision the test-dots ought to be clearly visible in full daylight at 19 yards' (Modified after the Regulations issued from the Horse Guards by Prof. Longmore in 1868). The acuity thus required was deemed to be equivalentlo 714 of normal sight.

This standard was later considerably tightened as reported in the British Medical Journal of 23 Sep 1899: 'In the days of "Old Brown Bess" and in the early days of rifles such an amount of sight would enable a soldier to shoot fairly well, but modern long-range rifles would in his hands be useless beyond a range of 400 yards or so; and it is a question lor the military authorities to decide, if there is any use in taking recruits with only 1/4 of normal sight. I think the standard should be raised. Of course to raise the standard might diminish the number of available recruits, and in these days there is great difficulty in getting the requisite number of men of good physique.' (Plus les choses changent, plus elles restent les m€mes) To quote lrom the verbosely titled 'Manual of Instructions for the guidance of Army Surgeons in testing the range and quality of vision of Recruits, and in distinguishing the causes olDefective Vision in Soldiers'...

To avoid the inconvenience ofhaving a series ofeight or ten cards with distinct groups ofdots, the dots have now been printed in a large group together, so arranged that, when an examination is being made, a certain proportion of them are covered by a separate piece of card, held in the hand of the examiner, and the recruit is required to name the relative position ol the dots left uncovered.'

Such charls can be found advertised in numerous 20c catalosues but how popular they were is hard to ascertain.

< Combined dot oattem charts. John Weiss & Sons Ltd 1958

Bt 487 Bt4i{3

Specifically lor the testing of railway personnel, we find a hand-held paddle designed for both acuity and recognition ofthe signal colours.

Hand-held paddle for acuitlz and signal colour recognition > i

Another variation used is shown below. Again hand-held, the candidate was required to count the number off dots exposed, or to draw the dots in the correct pattem so as not to place the innumerate at a disadvantage.

< Hand-held acuit)r dot patten paddle ...or weapon?

A goodly number of dents in the wood suggests it was also a handy implement for other purposes. Watchmakers Eyeglasses

By Ronald MacGregor

Photographs I and 2 show a pair olspectacles designed for use by a watchmaker. There is a patent number 1063 1 but unfortunately no year of registration. There is what is possibly a patent number suggesting a 'We U.K. Patent. The material is 1/1Oth 1Oct GF. can guess the year to be approximately 1915 to 1920.

Watchmaker's eyeglasses (photo 1): magnifi/ing lens down >

The small magnifying lens is attached to a short extension-arm hinged to the highest point on one eyerim olthe spectacles. It can be brought into use when required and llipped up when not required. Watchmakers' eyeglasses typically focus at 2 or 4 inches (20D or 10D).

< Watchmaker's elzeglasses (photo 2'): magniiring lens in flipped up position

The problem for watchmakers who wear spectacles is that spectacles have to be taken off every time the ordinary type of watchmaker's eyeglass is used and put back on afterwards. Back in 1897 P H Stevens had patented an eyeglass which could be used without removing spectacles (see photograph 3). It w'as not actually fixed to the spectacles. Wearing both at the same time was probably cumbersome. < P H Stevens' patent for a watchmaker's eyeglass or loupe

The specifications of the spectacles shown in photographs 1 and 2 are as follows:

Spectacle lenses R & L +4.00DS, bi-conver, oval 39 x 20mm.

Magnifying lens +10.25DS, bi-convex, round 15mm diameter.

Curl sides 160mm.

In the hrst half of the 20th century any practical jeweller-optician would have been able to fabricate his own version of this attachment which means that examples found by collectors are likely to differ in detail.

Finally, photograph 4 shows the range of watchmakers' eyeglasses illustrated in the 1911 catalogue of Nitsche & Gunther. More than one hundred years later similar items are still available. Horn has been superseded by plastic but aluminium and tumed wood examples can still be purchased new.

< Nitsche & 'lluilalo H,rrn Fr.rrrres l[{ i-trr] i! J,ril tii,ih Gunther 1911 catalogue illustratine their range of watchmakers' eyeglasses

10 Memoir: Alan King - A life in optics

In December 2019 Alan Kingwas 'clothed as of the livery'of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, that is, he became a Liveryman of the Company. He has enjoyed (and still is enjoying!) a long and interesting career in manufacturing optics, below is a potted biography of his optical life as compiled from the transcript a recent interview he gave to trleil Handley Ed.

Alan trained initially as a hairdresser, having left school at 14 years of age, while harbouring hopes of being aprofessional footballer. When that didn't work out the labour exchange offered him the one type of job that he wanted at all costs to avoid: factory work. Since there were no other options available at the time he reluctantly accepted. That job was at Rayners Optical in Hove, Sussex. He started on five shillings per week in 1961 - and was still there 22 years later .

The first task he was put to, in addition to sweeping the floors, was cutting formers (called tipple plates), metal squares with a hole in the centre. These were cut to the lens shape required with secateurs and the edges afterwards filed down. After three to four months of that he began to be put through the various glazing processes, leaming to use the various machinery and how to chamfer (taking off the rough edges of a lens prior to its insertion into a frame). He also learned how to hand glaze, on squares of window glass that had to be cut to an exact round shape. The results were examined by a very exacting foreman glazer anything not precisely circular ended up in the bin.

< Alan King clothed in the green and gold livery of the Worshipful Companlz of Spectacle Makers after being admitted into the Liverv of the Compan),

(Photo by Mark Witter Photography)

There wereihree main workshops at Rayners: prescriptions, where lenses were sorted and prepared; glazing; and surfacing. There were around 35 50 employees producing in the region of 2500 pairs of spectacles per week. The lenses were all glass and the frames mostly NHS models, although newer shapes began to appear by the late 1960s. The hrst big change Alan recalls were the new machines that arrived able to cut lenses with a 'v' bevel instead of flat edges which then had to be hand-bevelled.

After that lcin! stint at Rayner's Alan moved to the firm of J&R Fleming in Shoreham, Sussex, a smaller lab with less than half a dozen employees. But this lasted for only six months. Alan had long been interested in the idea of working in Germany because of the heritage and technology of that country's optical manufacturing, and an opportunity arose with the offer of a job in Cologne at an independent optician via a friendship formed with a German technician who had come to work at Rayner's for a spell. Needless to say he jumped at the chance.

The main difference he noticed in Germany was that every optician had to have a workshop attached, which bought in uncut lenses produced by factories. He was encouraged to take German qualifications; the two-year ophthalmic course would have suited him nicely. Unfortunately the system was rather too rigid and would not recognise his prior leaming. To get on to the ophthalmic course he would have had to start from scratch by working in the lab for three years before taking the glazing exam, followed by another two years working as a dispenser before sitting the dispensing exam. Instead he decided to head home. In 1912 Alan came back to work for Rayner's while studying the dispensing optics course run by the ADO (Association of Dispensing Opticians, as it was before 'British' was added). This was largely done as a correspondence collrse so he could manage his studies in the evenings while continuing with the day job. Before long, however, with promotions coming along at Rayner's and enjoying the work so much, he had to make a decision: manufacturing or dispensing - and manufacturing won out. During those 1970s years he recalls new frames appearing, such as the Baby Doll and Mirage, and nylon supras and lots of shell. The big change at the beginning of the following decade was the advent of plastic lenses.

1.1 Alan realised plastic lenses that were the coming thing and, to make the most of the growing trend, decided in 1 984 to strike out on his own. It was not without risk as, at that time, plastic was still only 15 per cent of the lens market. He started Hitech Optical Services in space at the premises of Trendlight in Worthing, buying a 30 per cent share of Trendlight too. The managing director of Trendlight and he later bought out the director of Southdown; at the time, Trendlight was located in a large garage, with Hitech occupying a third of the space - Southdown had 4000 square feet. The businesses were merged into a new entity, HTS Optical Group.

HTS did well, but the rise in multiples and in-house glazing hit hard. Dollond & Aitchison accounted for 60 per cent of HTS' tumover but this disappeared overnight with D&A's decision to take all their glazingin-house. HTS even received a letter from D&A warning them to return any work received from a D&A practice after a cerlain date as they would not be paid for it. Despite having to put his employees on a three-day week, HTS survived.

Retirement eventually beckoned. It wasn't long before the person who knows him best, his wife, Jean, said, 'You want to start again, don't you?' To which Alan replied, 'Yes.' He now has his own shop, doing glazing for himself along with much for other optrcrans.

Alan and Jean King at the reception preceding the Courl Luncheon. after beine admitted into the WCSM Livery. Note the collection of apothecaries'jars and other items in the background (WCSM is based at Apothecaries' Hall) >

(Photo by Mark Witter Photography)

So, in hindsight, what were the innovations in lens manufacturing that Alan would consider to be memorable or significant? He recalls meeting Mo Jalie when he came to Rayner's armed with an early Hewlett Packard computer and helping him to write the hrst optical computer program. That software, for surfacing instructions, totally transformed the way surfacing was done. Up until then, all calculations had to be done by hand, using a sliderule; now, it was all done by a computer that was eventually linked directly to the lathe. Rayner's was also the site where the first intraocular lens implants were made. John Ingham and Bobby Hobson, the men responsible, had a small office in the corner of the surfacing lab which Alan used to pop into now and again to see what they were up to. He admits thaI, at the time, he perhaps didn't realise the significance of their work as he was so focused on ophthalmic lenses. But the most important pieces of new lens technology, in his opinion, were the advent of progressive lens designs and high-index materials. And who would argue with that?

Alan became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in 2004, yet only took the next step in becoming a Liveryman last December. Why the long wait? Well, Alan had met and become friends with Huntly Taylor through Rayner's. Huntly, a dispensing optician, was manager of one of the Rayner's practices (and later, olhis own practice). When Alan learned that Huntly was going to be Master of WCSM (from October 2019), he reasoned that this was the perfect time to make that move.

L2 A tale of two museums... (1) The Kett Museum

To give it its full title, The Cyril Kett Optometry Museum and Archive, located at the Australian College of Optometry, Melboume, is well worlh a visit if you are in the area. It contains books, instruments, spectacles, photographs, paintings, archival papers and objects relating to the history of optometry and optometric education. Items in the collection date from the 17th century.

Last year a new public gallery was opened and named in honour of Michael Aitken, a Club member and one of the archivists appointed when the museum opened in 1970 - and is still active in that role, having also donated his collection of early ophthalmic books to the museum.

Opening of the Kett Museum's Aitken Gallery. Pictured are honorary Archivists. including Michael Aitken (with sciss Parliamentary Secretarv for Health. Anthony Carbines (second riqht) and Maureen O'Keele. CEO Australian College of Optometry (far rieht) >

(Photo courtesy of Kett Museum of Optometry)

The Michael Aitken Collection of E,arly Ophthalmic Books contains over 170 books dating back to the 17thcentury, charting the development of optometry and ophthalmology, including over 50 books donated by Michael himself.

The J Lloyd Hewett Collection also covers the history of optometry and ophthalmology, as well as of medicine more generally and other volumes comprising an eclectic range of topics relating to the eye and vision (including How Glasses Caught A Killer by David Baker - Ed, if he may be so bold!).

< Some of the items on displalr in the Kett Museum

(Photo courtesy of Kett Museum of Optometry)

For those interested in contact lenses, there is the Nathan and Suzanne Efron Contact Lens Library, comprising over 200 books on the subject, dating from 1902. The collection was donated by the Efrons rn 2016 along with a provision for future pu{poses.

It is good to see that, within the section ' Links For History Buffs', is listed OAICC along with the College of Optometrists and the College,/BOA Museum.

Finally, there is a 'Friends of the Museum' association for those who wish to become more involved. In any case it is well wo(h taking a moment to browse the museum's website: https://museum.aco.org.aul

13 (2) The Contact Lens Museum

A brief item on this new mllseum, opened last year, was written by Neil Handley in a recent issue of OA ('And, a museum opening - the Contact Lens Museum' OA 119, pl0, Oct 2019).We have recently received some images of the museum from one of the flounders. Patrick Caroline, Associate Professor at the Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove Oregon USA.

< A display gallery at The Contact Lens Museum

Workbench display of contact lens manufacturing tools and equipment >

An extract from the officiai Press Reiease on the opening gives some background to the museum:

'Conceived by Patrick J. Caroline, FAAO, Jiah Pack and Craig Norman, FCLSA, longtime collectors of contact lens artifacts, instruments and publications they r,velcome visitors liom near and far with free general admission to the new facility. located in Forest Grove, Oregon.

'Established in 2019 to preserve, protect and educate eye care practitioners, researchers, historians and the public about these wonderful optical devices and objects, The Contact Lens Museum has more than 2,000 historical itemsdocumenting the history ofthis field over the past 100+ years... The new museum features a chronoiogical selection of the evolrLtion of contact lenses lrom early glass and plastic scleral lenses. the discovery ol corneal designs, original soft lenses from Czechoslovakia, gas prermeable designs through the recent rebirth olscleral lenses.'

The museum's website is: https://www.thecontactlensmuseum.org/

1.4 Book Review

The Spectacle Makers - The First 300 Years in Minutes by Colin Eldridge

The story of a small but hard-up (and to us the most important!) Livery company of London using material gleaned from its archives and minute-books over many years by one of its long-serving Clerks.

Dry, turgid, hard going? Most certainly not - as it brings to life how the Livery Companies all developed from the early Guilds, in relation to the background of London society and its traditions, giving it also great appeal to lovers of social history. Written in a light-hearted style, with wry observations and peppered with humorous anecdotes, it is an entertaining and informative read. For example, how many people are aware that London during the 18c... 'All roads to London were infested with highwaymen who had the cheek "to post notices on the doors ofthe rich expresslyforbidding persons to go out of town without ten guineas and a watch about them upon pain of death.','

Highly recommended, available for only f8.99 from Amazonand elsewhere.

Ophthalmic Antiques

Editor David Baker [email protected] Editorial Board Neil Handley [email protected] John Dixon Salt [email protected] Peter Watkins [email protected] .. i HonLifePresident [email protected] Minute Secretary Roy Midwinter [email protected] Chairman John Dixon Salt [email protected] Treasurer Peter Watkins [email protected] Subs UK Peter Watkins [email protected] USA [email protected] Australia MichaelAitken [email protected] Germany Udo Timm, Post Box 1109,30927 Burgwedel Publicity Jayshree Vasani [email protected] Excursions Graeme Holland [email protected] Slade Firs, Drake St, Welland WR13 6LN Auction Officer Alan Leach [email protected] Webmaster Frank Barraclough [email protected] FacebookMistress [email protected] Twitter Master Neil Handley [email protected]

a r.''*/ l Facebook OAICC Twitter @oarcc Deadline for the July issue is 21 May 2020

15 A Lover's Eye

Volerie Mellor writes: As you may be aware, I trawl through each Ophtholmic Antiques and list the contents on computer, ultimately to be transferred to disc. I am up to OA 136 and onwards, and I see that there is a blank space under'Lover's Eye'. so let me rectify this omission.

Some years ago at an antiques fair, lspotted an Eye Miniature, or Lover's Eye, on a stall. I looked longingly at it, but walked away as the price was far above my range for optical items. Of course, as time went by, I regretted not buying it, but allthings come to those who wait......

A few years ago I found another one, although not in such good condition. Never mind. This one was definitely going to be added to my collection.

Left: Valerie Mellor's lover's eye brooch

The history of such 'Eyes' is possibly legend, but it is said that the fashion started in France. ln England it became almost a rich person's craze, thanks to the Prince Regent (later George lV and a keen 'fashionista') who failed to persuade his twice-widowed Catholic mistress, Mrs Fitiherbert, to marry him. lt would have been a totally unacceptable match for a royal prince, The lady finally agreed, but almost immediately decamped to France. Persistent to the end, the Prince Regent again proposed marriage and sent Mrs Fitzherbert a painted miniature portrait of his right eye, set in a locket, in lieu of an engagement ring. The artist was Richard Cosway. This was conveyed to his mistress - and thus started a fashion which continued until Victorian times. The outcome of the royal romance? The locket won over Mrs Fitzherbert and the two lovers were secretly married in 1785.

Most Lover's Eyes are made into brooches, rings, lockets and pendants. With lockets, a lock of real hair is sometimes inserted behind the portrait. The portraits can also be mounted on small boxes.

Right: Collection of lover's eyes held by College of Optometrists/BOA Museum (image courtesy of same)

Sometimes, but not always, it is easy to tell whether the subject is male or female. As with fans, there is an etiquette connected with these Eyes. The inclusion of tears or a background of clouds indicates that the subject has passed away and has gone to heaven. Such a portrait is a piece of mourning jewellery. Very often, the eye miniature is surrounded by jewels, seed pearls symbolizingtears. The fashion extended to eye portraits of family members. The paintings were done in water colour on ivory, parchment, vellum or paper.

Lover's Eyes are rare and are very collectable, but beware of fakes!