NEWSLETTER OF THE 1\Uf' .• r, 1071 OPTOMETRIC HISTORICAL SOCIE'I'Y ~ "' ; ", ! (7000 Chippewa Street, Saint Louis, Missq) .. q::t.,"U • .,s.~ A,.."' .. J> .. 3119) ~~·.L i:;·-~~~it L_:~:\:~ ~-r~-,-~: -~ i Volume 4 July 1973 Number 3 Election again: Our by-laws state "Election to membership on the Executive Board shall be preceded by the nomination of each candidate by at least three members and the willingness of each nominee to have his name placed on the ballot." The board member whose term expires this year, Dec. 31, 1973, is John R. Levene. Nominations for his replacement or continuation for a five year term are hereby requested for placement on the ballot. Election ballots will go out with the October issue of the Newsletter. Ernest Herbert Kiekenapp (1889-1973): The loss of Dr. Kiekenapp, a founding member of our society, is without question more keenly felt by us than by any other group. Most of his retirement years were devoted to reconstructing optometric history, of which he was the personification. He kept almost feverishly busy recording facts, experiences, and memories which he alone possessed. With all that he had contributed to optometry's development prior to his retirement he might easily have leaned back in a comfortable chair to watch his crop grow, but this he would not do. It will take years to assemble a good collection of the facts that portray his role in the development of optometry. He was personally involved in almost every major event. The Optometric Historical Society is only one of the monuments on which his name is forever inscribed. Appreciation: The following note was received from Dr. Kiekenapp's daughter: "Dear Society members- "Many thanks for the gorgeous pink glads, roses, mums, and porn pons that were sent for my father's services. They were a beautiful addition and we have enjoyed them at the house since the ceremonies. "Sincerely, "Kiki Rice" (Mrs. William Rice 9 Walnut Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108) -30- Colonial optics in .1776: O.H.S. member Henry A. Knoll has sent us a copy of a letter dated March 15, 1973 from Silvio A. Bedini, Deputy Director, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Says Mr. Bedini: '~hank you for your letter of February 26 relating to the history of optics in colonial America. There is little infor­ mation on the subject and none in published form. Most of the optical instruments used in colonial America were imported chiefly from England and there was very little if any production here. This was due primarily to the unavailability of optical glass and of skilled craftsmen. For example, no scientific glass was produced in America pri.or to about 1784. Occasional endeavors were made by such men of science as David Rittenhouse to produce instruments with lenses generally imported from overseas. There were, of course, spectacle makers working in America during this period and the best source of information concerning them are the advertisements in contemporary news­ papers. There has been no organized effort to collect and compile these advertisements, however, and it remains a project for the individual researcher. "I have devoted a substantial amount of space to the subject in my forthcoming book now in press, Thinkers and Tinkers (The Early American Men of Science) to be published by Scribner's. I hasten to add that I have not in this work considered the spectacle makers nor do I know whether there exists a literature on the subject in journals of optometry, etc. I regret that I cannot be more helpful." More on 1776 ophthalmics: The following paragraphs are taken from a letter dated March 29, 1973 to O.H.S. member Henry Knoll from Librarian Charles Snyder of the Lucien Howe Library of Ophthalmology, 243 Charles Street, Boston 14, Massachusetts: "You ask for information concerning eye care and eye appliances in the U.S. prior to the Declaration of Independence. The blunt truth is that there was not much, and what was did not amount to much. "To get a good picture of the times I suggest you get hold of a copy of: Guerra, Francisco: American Medical Bibliography, 1639-1783. New York, Lathrop C. Harper, 1962, 785 p. According to the author all the printed literature of the period - newspapers, magazines, broadsides, almanacs, and books - were scrutinized and any and all medical references were then indexed in this volume. Check the index in the back of the volume for references specific to the eye. There are several, but you will come away disappointed. -31- "It should be pointed out that there were no medical journals published in the colonies. Many of tne medical books published were re-prints of English works. The colonies were largely dependent on England for their medical literature as well as their medical training. "One excellent book of the times, written by an Englishman, enjoyed a degree of popularity in the colonies. It was: Priestly, Joseph: The History and Present State of Discoveries Relating to Vision, Light, and Colours. London, Johnson, 1772, 812 p. The book is a pleasure to read. You should also look at: Porterfield, William: Treatise on the Eye. The Manner and Phenomenon of Vision. Edinburgh, Hamilton, 1759, 2 vola. "These books deal with the non-clinical aspects of oph­ thalmology. In England there were only a few first-rate books on clinical ophthalmology, although the French and Germans had a better record. Generally speaking, the information on diseases of the eye that was available to the English language reader was buried in textbooks of general medicine and surgery. This means that the average Colonial doctor could not have had available to him a very large amount of ophthalmic literature. Verification of this can be found by consulting sections of: James, R. R.: Studies in the History of Ophthalmology in England Prior to the Year 1800. Cambridge, University Press, 1933, p. 89-131. "If you want to explore another area you could look into that of popular medicine. Read such books as the one John Wesley prepared for the planters of Georgia. And then there are always those studies that have been made on medicine in the colonies. I am not sure, but at one time or the other someone must have written a book on science and scientists in the colonies. It might be worth looking into. I have a vague impression that Rittenhouse of Philadelphia did some work on optics and lenses. I may be wrong. "Two things emerge from this letter- first: medicine was a poor thing in the colonies and ophthalmology was its poorest child; and second: to my knowledge no one has ever done a study on eye care available at the time. "So, good luck with your research. "P.S. I would like to see your manuscript on the history of B&L. As for its being published - that would of course depend on its nature." Miss Berger responds: At the time of writing the commentary on "Optics and optometry ca. 1930" in the previous issue of the Newsletter (p. 24) I sent an inquiry to -32- Simmons College, Miss Ivy Berger's alma mater, as to her whereabouts. The College forwarded my inquiry to her, and she, herself, wrote me. Her address is 2045 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton, Massachusetts 02135. With her permission I quote from her letter of March 24. "I've never written or researched in your field since my thesis although I've continued to read and to write extensively. Presently I am writing condensed book reviews (fiction and non­ fiction) in my spare time. "My choice of subject happened like this: Since I was a young teacher of shorthand and typewriting, I wanted to research and write something that would help teachers of Business Education. I had already written mountains of term papers based on library research. "My thesis adviser refused permission and insisted that I do a study on the Coal Industry. I've forgotten the name of my adviser, and I can't imagine why he chose that subject. As a fellow academician, you may wonder why, too. As a compromise between shorthand and coal, we chose eyeglasses! "I had a relative who was an optician; I knew of enormous price differentials that existed at the retail level; I wore eyeglasses. Did I need a better reason? In my youth and naivete, I thought I would simply read all there was in the library and perhaps do a little field research and satisfymy thesis requirements. '~ou see, I had decided at age 6 that I would be a teacher, and I needed a Master's Degree and two years of substitute teacher experience to take those Boston Teaching Examinations. I needed that degree, and no little thesis was going to interfere!! Soon, much to my dismay, I discovered that little or nothing was available in the library. By then, it was a matter of pride to do enough field research to get the thesis written anyhow. It did not help to be told by certain officials of a large optical manufac­ turing concern that, far from helping me, they would try to put every possible obstacle in my way to prevent my writing this thesis. Profit motive?? "It mattered then; but by now, I've forgotten what I wrote. I'm glad you found it interesting. "I got my degree (with honors) and have been happily teaching shorthand and typing ever since.I've taught most of the time at the Boston Business School. It is a post-high school business school with a unique passing mark of 90%. We train secretaries, book­ keepers, and accountants. It is satisfying work. "Is there much written nowadays on eyeglasses? I'd be pleased to see a current bibliography if one exists. Do you have a museum collection in Indiana? Are there collections elsewhere? -33- "Since I could only afford the two copies of my thesis (one for Boston University and one for the Library of Congress) it would be interesting to learn where your carbon came from -­ via the deceased optometrist. Historical societies find these questions interesting, do they not? "It has been pleasant 'pen-chatting' with you. Perhaps one day we will meet. I wish you every success with your interest in the history of optometry. Perhaps more is written these days than seemed to be available then." Oenological Optics: America's first regional homemade wine competition under a new Federal ruling was scheduled to be held at Treaty Line Wine Cellars near Liberty, Indiana, on April 7, according to an article in the April 6 Indianapolis Star. The winery is in a large barn built in 1840 on the banks of the Whitewater River. The name is derived from the Greenville Indian Treaty Line on which the winery is located. President of the winery is Donald L. MacDaniel, O.D., of Connersville and holder of Indiana Winery Permit No. 1. This interesting bit of news serves as a reminder that optometrists are creatively involved in many important community developments. The frequent recognition awards and honors bestowed on individual optometrists attests to their extensive participation in community affairs. It takes very little inquiry to learn that among our colleagues we have numerous accomplished musicians and painters, political leaders, civic developers, and policy makers. Such facts also add to our awareness of the total optometric contribution to society. Let us try to get more of this information on record. It gives us a more complete notion of the char~cter of the profession. Early specs and instruments: Recently I received a copy of a letter from L. D. Bronson, O.D., Associate Editor of Optometric World, 1200 South Central Ave., Glendale, California 19204, to Bernell Corp. soliciting "any help you can give us in the form of photographs and illustrated catalogues, books and any form of written material" for an article on "old and/or antique refracting instruments and equipment." Appropriate credits, care, and prompt return of loaned materials were assured. Following my request for more details, Dr. Bronson wrote: "Thank you for your response to my inquiry regarding early refracting instruments and equipment, in which you question the extent of our proposed investigation and subsequent article. I hope this letter will serve to clarify our intent. "I have in my possession a book-length manuscript which I wrote and which I call, EARLY AMERICAN SPECS. It is yet to be -34- published. In my research for the subject-matter contained in this book, I invariably encountered material germane to ophthalmic instruments. And, as with the 'specs', I became fascinated by the history and lore surrounding their metamorphosis. This prompted me to include these in my collection. "Both the Optometric World and myself are interested in preparing an article of some 5,000 words for publication. This is to be concerned, in the main, with refracting equipment and connected devices such as orthoptic, tonometric, V.A. charts, and the like. "I have collected already some instruments, pamphlets and books circa 1895. I am attempting to obtain information prior to that date." 16th century symbol of deceit: A woman wearing a mask and holding forth a pair of spectacles in her right hand as her merchandise offering is one of seven human figures in a copperplate engraving by the Dutch artist Martin Heemskerk, nee Martin van Veen, (1498-1547). The seven figures are allegorically labeled, in Latin: Fortuna, Labor, Diligentia, Parsimonia, Fraus, Mendacium, and Vis. Fraus, meaning deceit or fraud, is a spectacle saleslady! An interesting interpretation of the symbolism of Fraus is made by Prof. Dr. H. 0. Kroner in an article entitled "Die Brillenverkauferin von Heemskerk" in the September 1972 issue of Augenspiegel, vol. 18, No. 9, pp. 444-447. The engraving itself is reproduced in the article, and reference is also given to an earlier discussion of it by Prof. Dr. Greeff in a series of articles entitled, "Die Brillenverkaufer in alter Zeit" in Deutschen Optischen Wochenschrift, 1931, Nr. 49, Seite 588£. The original engraving is presently catalogued as Nr. 64 of the Kroner Collection in the Optischen Museum der Zeiss-Werke, Oberkochen, West Germany. In the same issue of Augenspiegel, pp. 438-448, is an article about the above-mentioned museum entitled, "Das optische Museum in Oberkochen/ Wurttemberg" by Thilo Von Haugwitz. Another thrilling first: O.H.S. member Minerva H. Weinstein, 1504 Sheridan Ave., Bronx, New York 10457, recently sent her state board examination papers, and her answers, to Secretary Maria Dablemont for the archives. She reports herself "the first woman registered by examination," the "only woman optometrist in Bronx County, "a charter member of the Bronx County Optometrical Society," and "many other firsts." Her examination took place in June 1914 in the Grand Central Palace in New York City, and she was the only woman taking the exam. She comments, "The Grand Central Palace is gone, but I, and Optometry, are still here!" -35- Leeds on Maybee: O.H.S. member Jim Leeds writes, "Just read the O.H.S. Newsletter and was intrigued by Ted Fisher's mention of W. A. Maybee. I have some paper pamphlets he wrote on 'Optometry in Theory and Practice' (Lectures 2-7, 9-11), which were some undated pamphlets (circa 1915), probably printed in Winnipeg. They're nothing great, but still I am glad to have them." Variable and progressive power lenses: This is the title of a series of five articles by A. G. Bennett in Manufacturing Optics International (Vol. 25, No. 17, Dec. 1972, pp. 759-762 and Vol. 26, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Jan., Feb., Mar., and Apr. 1973, pp. 42-45, 88-91, 137-141, and 199-204). In his typically meticulous style Mr. Bennett traces attempts, developments, and patents from the 18th century to the very recent. The article is thoroughly documented and illustrated. History of spectacles: The series of articles by Dr. Emil-Heinz Schmitz mentioned in our January 1973 issue, Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 8 was concluded with installment No. 40 in the January 15, 1973 issue of Suddeutsche Optikerzeitung, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 61-68. Pepys' eye problems: This is the title of a brief article by S.C. and W.E. Hardy in the April 26, 1973 issue of the Optometric Weekly, Vol. 64, No. 17, pp. 32-33. "The diary compiled by Samuel Pepys . . . between 1660 and 1669 now ranks . • • as an interesting source of information about the available treatment of sight defects ... ", say they. Herschel's contact lens: If you are planning to write or talk about the history of contact lenses you first should read A.G. Bennett's "J.F.W. Herschel on contact lenses" in the April 14, 1973 issue of The Ophthalmic Optician, Vol. 13, No. 8, pp. 423-424. Mr. Bennett is of the opinion that the protecting of the cornea from a diseased lid is an erroneous version of Herschel's interest in contact lenses. He documents his opinion well. Kepler's retinal image: Reconnnended reading is "Kepler's discovery of the retinal image" by Ronald S. Fishman, M.D., in the January 1973 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 59-61. For a reprint write to Dr. Fishman, 106 Irving St., N.W., Suite 420, Physicians Office Bldg., Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. Quite irrelevant to the above, but worth a good old-fashioned belly laugh, which I guarantee, is the entry for Johannes Kepler in World Who's Who in Science, First Edition, 1968. -36- More historical articles: "Visual Aids-History, Legend and Fact" by W. Gasson, "A History of the Synoptophores" by M. J. Revell, "The Heritage of Applied Optics" by D. A. Sheard, and "Optometry in Canada -- The First 70 Years" by E. J. Fisher comprise almost a twelfth of the 1972 publication of the British Optical Association entitled Transactions of the International Ophthalmic Optical Congress 1970, London, (approx. $12.00). Two of the four authors, Revell and Fisher, are O.H.S. members. Memorial to J. Earl Hunt: Earl J. Hunt, O.D., has donated $100.00 to the Optometric Historical Society again, this time as a gift in memory of his father, Mr. J. Earl Hunt, who passed away on March 14, 1973. Dr. Hunt's earlier donation, in 1969, was in memory of his mother and was duly reported in the Newsletter. The canceled check is on display in the A.O.A. museum, and we hope to get the present check, when it is canceled, to display with the first one. Dr. Hunt, a founding O.H.S. member, suggests that this contribution be applied toward the expansion of the Optometric Museum at the American Optometric Association headquarters. His suggestion will be followed. Incidentally, these are the only two monetary contributions received by the Society. None has been solicited, primarily because it is not our objective to compete with other optometric museum projects; rather, we aim to encourage meritorious preservational efforts wherever they may be aided. In this instance it will be the A.O.A. Museum that will be helped. Nevertheless, we recognize that dedicated historical societies often serve a primary role in processing the desires of those who would make personal supporting contributions. To enable the O.H.S. to fulfill this role, not-for-profit incorporation papers have been filed and a compliance statement is being submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for registration as a society to which contributions are deductible on income tax returns. Though the O.H.S. was intentionally designed for eligibility from the beginning, we had not submitted formal registration papers. In the future, however, we will be prepared to advise any prospective donor that his gift is deductable. The possibilites are exciting. More memorials: The April 1973 publication of the British Optical Association entitled "Report of the Council to the Members for the Year ended 22nd October 1972," pp. 10-11, mentions several prizes and scholarships memorializing optometrists not previously listed in the O.H.S. Newsletter as follows: -37- The George William Colebrook Prize The H. W. Gibson Prize TheW. J. Porter Prize The Barker Scholarship The Sutcliffe Scholarships Also listed are two memorials to friends of the profession: The Peter Madden Prize The W. D. Wright Scholarship A letter to the editor of the 0Etometric Weekly, Vol. 64, No. 14, April 5, 1973, p. 329, describes the establishment of the David E. Martin Memorial ScholarshiE Fund by the West Suburban Optometric Society-of the Illinois Optometric Association. Contributors: Following are the names of those who have donated books, periodicals, museum items and archival materials to the AOA Library, Archives and Museum of Optometry during the period of June 1972 through May· 1973: Mrs. Marylyn Bradley, Carle Clinic Association Cecil H. Cantrell, O.D. John D. Costabile, O.D. Miss Grace Cox William R. Dale, O.D. Rudy Francioli (Switzerland) Abel Rodriguez Garcia (Spain) Reuben Greenspoon, O.D. Mrs. A· C. Haughton W. Jerome Heather, O.D. Henry W. Hofstetter, O.D., Ph.D. William C. Karber, O.D. M. J. Kennebeck, O.D. Carel C. Koch, O.D. Mrs. Harold Kahn Dr. & Mrs. Charles K. Kraft John R. Levene, D. Phil. George A. Lucas, O.D. J. Joe Marsh, Jr., O.D. M. D. Monaghan, O.D. Fumio Marry (Japan) Max J. Palicki, O.D. Antonio Pacheco, O.D. (Puerto Rico) L. S. P~eger, O.D. E. Leroy Ryer, O.D. (This donation was sent to the Library by Mrs. Ruth Hedderman, his daughter, after the death of Dr. Ryer.) R. E. Spafford, O.D. Jacob Staimen, O.D. Jean Thiriart (Belgium) -cont'd- Heritage and pride: -38- James C. Tumblin, O.D. Mrs William M. Weir Charles S. Whitaker, O.D. Because one person, O.H.S. member Tony Pacheco, seems to make a hobby of ferreting out historical facts, statistics, and documents, Puerto Rican optometry may well have the best information on record as to its heritage, and this information is being filed in all the right places for permanent reference. Would that there were one such history buff in every state! Optometric History in Puerto Rico: The May 30, 1973, issue of the Puerto Rican optometric newsletter entitled A TODOS LOS OPTOMETRAS DE PUERTO RICO, Vol. 4, No. 8, is a chronology of the legal development of optometry in the 75 year period 1898-1973. A supplementary chart, in English, shows 23 optometrists licensed between 1903 and 1930 under the Medical Acts when the board consisted of five physicians; 50 more licensed between 1930 and 1964 under the Optometric Acts which provided for a board consisting of three optometrists and two physicians; and nine more licensed between 1964 and 1973 during which period the board consisted of four optometrists and one physician. This year, 1973, the law was amended to provide a board consisting exclusively of five optometrists. April showers: The month of April brought us six new members from Puerto Rico, two brothers, two nephews, and a son of our frequent correspondent and member Antonio Pacheco, O.D., and Dr. Ricardo E. Alegria, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture. The five relatives of Tony are all Pachecos, three named Sixto, one Ramon, and another Antonio. Surely the first major conference on optometric history will have to take place in Puerto Rico! Honorary Member Mrs. Giles: In January the O.H.S. Executive Board unanimously endorsed the nomination of Mrs. G. H. Giles (formerly Miss Ivy Parnum), 189 Watford Rd., Harrow, Middlesex, England, for Honorary Membership. Our Feb. 2 letter of notification to her inadvertently went surface mail and did not reach her until April 151 But she responded immediately, and now we look forward to an occasional historical note from her for the Newsletter. It seems impossible that there could be a member of the O.H.S. who does not know about Mrs. Giles, but in case there is one, let me tell him or her that Ivy is now retired from her long secretarial and administrative career with the British Optical Association and the -39- International Optometric and Optical League. She is probably the best known woman in the ophthalmic world, and certainly the most favorite. Her most recent service was that of collecting contributions of well over $100,000 for the G. H. Giles Memorial Auditorium at the London Refraction Hospital. We are proud that she accepted. New regular members: On June 21 Sandy Smith in Secretary Dablemont's office sent me a list of the members added to the Optometric Historical Society in the last six months, with her connnent, "This list will be incomplete tomorrow!" Anyway, here are the newest members: Charles A. Abel, O.D. 605 Villa Monte Monterey Park, CA 91754 Morton L. Abram County Court Judge Broward County Courthouse Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 Dr. Ricardo E. Alegria, Director Ejecutivo Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena Apartado 4184 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00905 Dr. Antonio Arteaga Country Club Shopping Plaza Country Club Carolina, Puerto Rico 00630 Dr. William R. Baldwin, President Massachusetts College of Optometry 424 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Stanley Burgess, O.D. 44 E. Shirley Street Mount Union, Pennsylvania 17066 R. G. Bursua, O.D. 300 N. Market Street Suite No. 2 Marion, Illinois 62959 David Cline, O.D. 4943 Calderon Road Woodland Hills, CA 91364 -cont'd-. Jack Daubs, O.D., M.P.H. 173 Central Avenue Milton, Massachusetts 02187 Mrs. Elizabeth Egan 600 s. Woodlawn Avenue Bloomington, IN 47401 Professor E. J. Fisher, Director University of Waterloo School of Optometry Faculty of Science Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Jorge Gorbea, O.D. P.O. Box 695 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902 R. L. Guenveur, O.D. 310 South 5th Street Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin 53572 William J. Heather, O.D. 105 George Muck Drive Kerrville South, Texas 78028 Dr. Roberto Hernandez 1207 Rafael Arcelay Street Urbanizaci6n Club Manor R{o Piedras, Puerto Rico 00924 Monroe J. Hirsch, Ph.D. P.o. Box 8 Ojai, CA 93023 J. D. Howard, O.D. 18771 South Cicero Avenue -40- Country Club Hills, Illinois 60477 R. J. Hubartt, Jr., O.D. 1750 East Commercial Blvd. Suite /15 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308 Edmund G. Janies, O.D. 126 North Locust Centralia, Illinois 62801 R. N. Kleinstein, O.D. 844 Gooding Drive Albany, California 94708 -cont'd- Carel C. Koch, O.D. 500 Foshay Tower -.41- Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Charles B. Kraft, O.D. Box 1 Norton, Kansas 67654 Elwin Marg, Ph.D. University of California School of Optometry Berkeley, CA 94705 M. C. Mauney, O.D. Southern College of Optometry 1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38104 Edward G. Miner Library University of Rochester Medical Center 260 Crittenden Blvd. Rochester, New York 14620 Dr. Porfirio Morales Pharmacist and Optometrist Box 1224 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00708 Bernard A. Mbrewitz, O.D. 130 30th Street, Vision Bldg. Newport News, Virginia 23607 Michael J. Obremskey, O.D. Heritage Mall Professional Center 7893 Heritage Drive Annandale, Virginia 22003 The Ohio State University Libraries Serial Division 1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43210 Olee J. Olsen, O.D. 6042 The Plaza Charlotte, N.C. 28205 Luis A. Ortiz, O.D. Box 128 Bayamon, Puerto Rico Mr. Antonio Pacheco, Jr. L-16 Villa Caparra, Puerto Rico 00619 -cont'd- Mr. Ram6n Pacheco Lopez Landron Street 1550 Santurce, Puerto Rico 00909 Mr. Sixto Pacheco -42- Pennsylvania College of Optometry 1200 West Godfrey Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141 Dr. Sixto Pacheco Ponce de Leon Avenue 1012 Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico 00925 Mr. Sixto Pacheco, Jr. P.o. Box 4424 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00905 Dr. E. L. Padman 47 Brisbane Street Launceston, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA 7250 Richard Parnigoni, O.D. Professional Arts Bldg. 85 Washington Street Barre, Vermont 05641 William P. Schumann, O.D. 735 Pear Street Vineland, New Jersey 08360 David A. Vito, O.D. 91 Weybosset Street Providence, Rhode lsland 02903 Bernard E. Vodnoy, O.D. 316 South Eddy Street Sout~ Bend, IN 46617 Iffy certificates excite three: To date I have received three reactions to the idea that perhaps the Society should issue a five-years-of-continuous-membership certificate. One member suggested that a certificate of membership should be issued to each member when he joins. A second responded simply, "save the money." A third said, "I need it like I need more taxes." N.S.P.B. 65 years old: Founded in 1908, the National Society for the Prevention this year celebrates its 65th anniversary, and with no expectations of going into retirement. The N,S.P.B. proudly declares itself to be "the -43- oldest voluntary health agency nationally engaged in the prevention of blindness." Surely there must be some fascinating history buried deep in its archives. Who ..£!!!. date spectacles? From time to time we receive inquiries as to the date of manufacture of an old pair of spectacles. When such inquiries come to me I routinely refer them to O.H.S. Vice President John R. Levene, and he obligingly attaches a date, usually prefaced with a "circa". So far as I know his judgement has not been challenged, but I am sure he would invite a challenge. If any readers feel competent to make reliable estimates, or have the experience or resources which would enable them to do so, or know someone else who can be considered authoritative, I would be pleased to have the information. Art and opticianry: "The Lissac Empire", an oil painting by Anthony Green, is currently displayed in the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, London, England, (museum catalog #879) and priced at~l,OOO (approximately $2,580). Isoceles shaped, approximately 1 1/2 meters wide at_ the bottom with an apical height of about 2 1/2 meters, it protrays Mr. Maurice Lissac holding a pair of spectacles, with composite views of his optical retail establishment as background. I requested and received two photographic copies of the painting and have forwarded one to the Archives of the American Optometric Association. Amulets and Talismans, Ltd. This is the name of a jewelry company (33 Christopher Street, New York, New York 10014) which has chosen the Eye of Ra as its symbol. According to their white print on black paper catalog, "He was the son of Osiris and Iris, and is often depicted in hieroglypics as a man with the head of a bird. Egyptian legend explains that Ra became a bird in order to journey to the sun. For his flight he was given a special eye, called Udjat, so that he could look at the sun without becoming blind." Among the jewelry offerings is an Eye of Ra ring in silver or gold and an Eye of Ra pendant. Invite your friends to join: We have printed up a brief message of invitation on several hundred 3" X 6" (8 X 16 em) slips of paper which we have found very convenient to insert with correspondence going out to persons who might appreciate knowing about the Optometric Historical Society. The number of new -44- members this little invitation has attracted is really surprizing. If you wish a supply of these you may obtain them free of charge merely for the asking. Your friends will appreciate your thinking of them as history buffs. H. W. Hofstetter, Editor 1973-04-03-001 1973-04-03-002 1973-04-03-003 1973-04-03-004 1973-04-03-005 1973-04-03-006 1973-04-03-007 1973-04-03-008 1973-04-03-009 1973-04-03-010 1973-04-03-011 1973-04-03-012 1973-04-03-013 1973-04-03-014 1973-04-03-015 1973-04-03-016