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American Optical History

American Optical History. Copyright 2008 - the Optical Heritage Museum. Click mouse for each slide. 1826. William Beecher arrives in Southbridge and opens a Jewelry and Watch Shop on Main St.; below photo is of Beecher trunk (Optical Heritage Museum collection). 1833.

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American Optical History

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  1. American Optical History Copyright 2008 - the Optical Heritage Museum Click mouse for each slide

  2. 1826 • William Beecher arrives in Southbridge and opens a Jewelry and Watch Shop on Main St.; below photo is of Beecher trunk (Optical Heritage Museum collection)

  3. 1833 • AO’s “Birth” – Beecher and 3 apprentices make silver eyeglass frames in rooms above Jewelry Shop

  4. 1839 • Beecher moves to 2 Story building on corner of Chestnut and Main St. • Referred to as “Old Spec Shop” • Later became Hyde Tools building when AO moved to Mechanic St.

  5. 1843 • First steel Spectacles made in America were produced by machinery invented by Beecher

  6. 1848 • First gold frames made in America

  7. 1850 • Gold frames (14K-18K) sell for $7.50/pair

  8. 1853 • Frame sales nationwide total 14,919 pair

  9. 1853 • Old Spec Shop switches from Cohasse Brook power to steam power

  10. 1864 • 17 year old George Wells hired by Beecher • George & Brother, Hiram, hired by company now called R. H. Cole & Co., both are fired short time later • George W. Wells (age 17) arrives in Southbridge with $100 in his pocket

  11. 1865 • George Wells rehired by R. H. Cole Daniel Wells Schreck, Direct descendant of George W. Wells (Portrait) in Southhbridge (2004)

  12. 1869 – Feb 26th • American Optical Company formed • Gross business of $50,000 • R. H. Cole offers 22 year old G. W. Wells partnership in business

  13. 1871 • First 3 story Wooden Structure on AO Main Plant site; drawing below shows 1872 view • Cost to build = $35,000 • 20,700 square feet

  14. 1872 • G. W. Wells becomes General Supervisor of new plant

  15. 1874 • AO introduces first Rimless Spectacles

  16. 1883 • AO plans to make its own spectacle lenses in Southbridge

  17. 1884 • First AO spherical lenses made • Production started when Import tarriffs were imposed. • Fireworks celebration in Southbridge on November 15, 1884.

  18. 1880s

  19. 1886 • AO sells 1,304,280 pairs of Spectacles • George Wells invention for drawing eyewire for spectacle frames

  20. 1888 AO Workers

  21. 1891 • George W. Wells becomes President of AO

  22. 1892 Map of AO Southbridge MA complex

  23. 1893 • AO adopts Dioptric system of lens power which is now in use throughout the world • AO begins to manufacture Toric lenses • Torics used to correct for Astigmatism

  24. AO Main Plant ~1899 before clock tower

  25. 1898 • U.S. Bureau of Standard accepts AO’s system of lens power

  26. 1901 AO Main Plant Clock Tower

  27. 1905 • AO London office opens • Begins its International operations

  28. 1907 • AO begins making Automobile goggles • AO had 2000 employees with a payroll of $1,000,000

  29. 1909 • J.Cheney Wells founds the AO Research laboratory

  30. 1910 • New “Lensdale Building” built • Made entirely of Cement • Site of Lens Manufacturing until 2005 • AO Kryptok Bifocals first Manufactured

  31. 1910 -AO Power Plant Built

  32. 1913 • Crookes glass • Later called Calobar (UV and IR Protection)

  33. 1916 • Dr. Edgar Tillyer hired by AO, Dr. Estelle Glancy 1 year later

  34. 1916 - AO Truepower StandardsCalibrated at Bureau of Standards

  35. 1917 • Dr. Tillyer files first Patent • Use of common curves for selected powers • Allowed practical manufacturing of mass produced lenses • Cole’s sell final 127 shares of company stock to Wells family for $1.25 Million

  36. 1917 • AO Designs WWI mobile optical units • Self contained eyeglass facilities for the War • 2,500,000 lenses furnished to Government for War effort

  37. Early AO Logo- AOC

  38. 1919

  39. 1919-1921 • First AO LENSOMETER introduced in 1921, revolutionizing the industry • Measures spectacles lens power

  40. 1923 • AO Establishes 114 National Branches • Industrial Eye Protection Department established • Wise Owl Eye Safety Program established

  41. 1924 • Dr. Estelle Glancy • Progressive Lens Patent #1,518,405

  42. 1925 • AO acquires De Zeng Instrument of America • Expand to Ear, Nose and Throat products

  43. 1925 Safety Glasses Ad

  44. 1925 • Tillyer Lens introduced, revolutionizes spectacle lens industry “Americanization class” at AO

  45. 1926 • Tillyer patents ophthalmic lens series where off-axis power & astigmatism errors were controlled

  46. ~1927 • AO commissions artist Norman Rockwell to paint 6 paintings for Tillyer Lens Advertising

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