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• AO’s “Birth” – Beecher and 3 apprentices make

silver eyeglass frames in rooms above Jewelry Shop

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.

1843• First steel Spectacles made in America were produced by

machinery invented by Beecher

1848

• First gold frames made in America

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

1853• Frame sales nationwide total 14,919 pair

1853• Old Spec Shop switches from Cohasse

Brook power to steam power

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

1865• George Wells rehired by R. H. Cole

Daniel Wells Schreck, Direct descendant of George W. Wells (Portrait) in Southhbridge (2004)

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

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

1872

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

1874• AO introduces first Rimless Spectacles

1883• AO plans to make its own spectacle lenses

in Southbridge

1884• First AO spherical lenses made

• Production started when Import tarriffs were imposed.

• Fireworks celebration in Southbridge on November 15, 1884.

1880s

1886• AO sells 1,304,280 pairs of Spectacles

• George Wells invention for drawing eyewire for spectacle frames

1888 AO Workers

1891

• George W. Wells becomes President of AO

1892 Map of AO Southbridge MA complex

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

AO Main Plant ~1899 before clock tower

1898• U.S. Bureau of Standard accepts AO’s

system of lens power

1901 AO Main Plant Clock Tower

1905

• AO London office opens

• Begins its International operations

1907• AO begins making Automobile goggles

• AO had 2000 employees with a payroll of $1,000,000

1909

• J.Cheney Wells founds the AO Research laboratory

1910• New “Lensdale Building” built

• Made entirely of Cement

• Site of Lens Manufacturing until 2005

• AO Kryptok Bifocals first Manufactured

1910 -AO Power Plant Built

1913• Crookes glass

• Later called Calobar (UV and IR Protection)

1916• Dr. Edgar Tillyer hired by AO, Dr. Estelle Glancy

1 year later

1916 - AO Truepower StandardsCalibrated at Bureau of Standards

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

1917• AO Designs WWI mobile optical units

• Self contained eyeglass facilities for the War

• 2,500,000 lenses furnished to Government for War effort

Early AO Logo- AOC

1919

1919-1921

• First AO LENSOMETER introduced in 1921, revolutionizing the industry

• Measures spectacles lens power

1923

• AO Establishes 114 National Branches

• Industrial Eye Protection Department established

• Wise Owl Eye Safety Program established

1924• Dr. Estelle Glancy

• Progressive Lens Patent #1,518,405

1925• AO acquires De Zeng Instrument of America

• Expand to Ear, Nose and Throat products

1925 Safety Glasses Ad

1925• Tillyer Lens introduced, revolutionizes

spectacle lens industry

“Americanization class” at AO

1926• Tillyer patents ophthalmic lens series where

off-axis power & astigmatism errors were controlled

~1927

• AO commissions artist Norman Rockwell to paint 6 paintings for Tillyer Lens Advertising

1930

• High Temple Fulvue frame introduced

1931

• Fulvue fused ¾ segment bifocals introduced

1933- AO celebrates 100th Anniversary

1935

• AO acquires Spencer Lens

• Expands into precision optics

1936

• Joel Cheney Wells retires after 43 years at age 62

• He began work as office boy

• George B. Wells elected President of AO

• Son of Albert Wells

• Grandson of George W. Wells

1936- 1939

• In spite of the Depression

• Employees increased from 5,000 to 7,000!

• Sales increased from $16 million to $19 million!

1938

• Dr. Tillyer credited with the Additive Power Phoroptor

1938

• AO Bureau of Visual Science was founded

1939

• AO Legal and Patent Department established

1940

• AO first introduces plastic safety lenses made from methyl methacrylate

1941

• AO Putnam Connecticut Safety Product Facility Opens

• Labor shortage in Southbridge causes expansion

1942

• AO Opens Brattleboro, Vermont facility

• Began to produce 18.5 Million pairs of lenses for Armed Services

1943

• By 1943, facility has 380 workers and produces 2 Million Safety and Aviator lenses

• AO provided 14 Million prescription eyeglassed to Armed Forces & still filled civilian orders

WWII Prism compenstated glass goggles (Dr. Estelle Glancy)

1944• AO has 45% of sales in Government contracts for War

effort

• Sales doubled since 1934

1945

• AO Sight Screeners introduced to check vision

• Industrial vision protection plan begun – The American Plan

1945

• AO Monoplex Eye opens in Southbridge

• Produces life-like hand painted artificial eyes

1946

• AO begins research on Contact Lenses

• First Manufacture in 1947

1947• AO and Polaroid produce first successful

curved polarized lens

1947

• Metal spectacle goggles, new 10K & 14K gold alloys for frames

• Metal Frame Plant in Southbridge was completed

1948

• AO forms Plastics division

• Lenticular E one-piece cataract lens introduced

• Microfilm reader, Calobar uniform density lens

1950

• AO Products diversify

• Camera lenses, projectors, binoculars, molded items for automobiles

1952• AO begins to manufacture Glass Executive bifocals

• Process and location stays the same until 2005 closing!!!

1953

• Quarter Century Club (25 years with company) has a record attendance of 755!

1953

• Glass Microscopic Lenses for Low Vision introduced

1954

• AO Student Microscopes introduced

• AO / CIA work together on Fiber Optics

• Will Hicks joins AO

• AO becomes publicly owned

• 9000 investors buy stock in AO

• Advantages of Minus Toric surfaces for finished lens series proposed

1954 Photo – AO Main Plant

August 19, 1955

• Flood devastates area, AO considers closing

1955

• Flood almost closes Southbridge facility

• 15 feet of water where Hotel lobby is today

• High water mark shown at second floor window (top mark)

1955• Todd – AO’ s first production

• Wide screen projection, improved Sound

• Oklahoma opens in October 1955 in NYC

1955

• Diamond Studded Elsa Schiaparelli designer frame commissioned

1955

• AO sales reach $75 million

1955

• AO Electronic Lensometer patented and manufactured

• Displays in Chicago

1956

• First cast finished single vision 56mm lens

• Originally called Plasticor

• Later to be renamed AOLITE

1957

• AO expands research in Fiber Optics, Wide Screen television, military applications

1958• AOLITE CR-39 Aspheric Cataract Lens

Introduced

• New products include Rx master phoroptor & high lift ophthalmic chair

1959

• Ultra high speed camera patent & intravenous measurement device of oxygen in human blood

• Fiber Optics business developed

• R&D develops Sidewinder Missile for the Military

1960

• Polarstar (polarizing) & Flouristar Microscopes introduced for cancer research

• Justice Dept. ruling results in AO divesting from Rx laboratories

• Ophthalmic Division maintains sales, growing acceptance of Tillyer Exec & AOLITE Aspheric cataract

1961

• Optical lasers developed for the Air Force

• Laser Inc. formed to R&D optics, electronics, lasers

• AO Cardiometer & DC Defribrillator

1961• Davis, Fernald & Rayner design

Masterpiece FSV glass series corrected for off-axis performance errors

1961 – Dec 7• Dr. Edgar Tillyer turns 80 (at Left)

• Dr. Estelle Glancy and John Davis (bowtie) at his side

1962

• AOLITE plastic lens market rapidly expands

• Record number of new frame styles

• AOLITE 62mm Finished Single Vision lenses introduced

1963

• Fiber Optics

• Solar powered laser transmitter completed for the Air Force

1964• Noel Roscrow (founder of SOLA) visits the

AOLITE CR-39 manufacturing plant operation in Southbridge, Mass.

• AOLUX laser glass reached market, new endoscope introduced

1965

• Medical Division develops implantable Pacemaker

• Tillyer Masterpiece lens, first new SV lens in 30 years

• AOLITE Executive Bifocal introduced

AO Southbridge ~1965

1967

• Warner-Lambert buys American Optical (becomes publicly owned)

1975• AO Tumble Abrasion Test developed by

John Young

1973

• AOLITE 66mm FSV lens series introduced

1976

• Aspheric lens design patent – John Davis

1978

• AO’s first Progressive lens introduced (Ultravue / AO7 in Europe) – Dr. John Winthrop

1979

• Glass manufacturing plant closed at Southbridge facility (6 Million Dollars in Platinum sold off)

1980• Fulvue Cataract lens patent – Donald B.

Whitney

• Fulvue Cataract lens introduced

• AOLITE 77mm FSV product line introduced

1981

• Unique polycarbonate decentered plano safety lens introduced called the S1000.

• Prism correction for lens faceform angle

1980

• First Abrasion resistant hard coating introduced - Permalite

1982• Photolite, the first plastic photochromic lens

is introduced

1982• Closed the Frederick, Maryland Frame Plant (out of Frame

making business)

• Warner-Lambert sells American Optical to M&R (Mo Cunniffe & Rudy Wood)

1983• AO Museum opens in Southbridge (John Young, Curator)

• AO Brattleboro plant closes, Safety Lens Manufacturing moves to relocate to Southbridge

• AO celebrates 150th Anniversary; Optical Heritage Museum founded

1985

• AO Truvision Progressive Lens patent – Dr. John Winthrop

• Fused Glass Bifocal operation closes in Southbridge

1984

• AO produce Polycarbonate Plano and Rx lenses for the Apache Helicopter pilots

• Steep curve (22 Diopters!)• RX’s – individual plus

torics individualized for pilots

1989

• AO OMNI Progressive Lens Bi-Polar patent – Dr. John Winthrop

1990

• Technica Progressive Lens introduced (designed for computer use)

• Polycarbonate OMNI product released

• Safety Division sold to Cabot Corporation

1992

• AO Pro 15 Progressive Lens released

• ASPHERLITE (Aspheric SFSV) product released

• Manufacturing completed its move to Tijuana (except for Glass Executives)

1993

• Tijuana (AO Lens Mex) plant flood

• Aspheric Single Vision “Inside-Out” patent issued – Dr. John Winthrop / R. B. Whitney

1994

• AO Pro 16 Polycarbonate product introduced

• Fire in Glass Progressive Plant at the AO Lens Mex Tijuana facility

1995

• AO Force 55 Progressive Lens introduced in 1.549 Nd Index material

1996• Introduce AO 55 SFSV 1.549 Index (Nd)

Aspheric Single Vision design• SOLA International Inc. purchases AO

Ophthalmic Lens Division from AO Corporation (M&R) & renames it AO Lens Company

• AO Lens Co. Corporate Headquarters relocates from Southbridge, Mass. To San Diego, CA.

• Reunion of Todd-AO Researchers occurs / Visit Southbridge complex

1998• AO Compact Progressive Lens introduced

(Project Name = Short Corridor)

1999

• AO Compact Progressive Lens awarded “Best in Lens Design” at Optical Laboratory Association Convention

2000

• DOD Lease signed on March 31, 2000; Demolition of Main Plant begins in April for Hotel and Conference Center

• AO & SOLA merge Sales & Marketing (East Coast Southbridge, West Coast Petaluma)

• SOLA buys Oracle Lens for $17.4 Million• AO b’Active General Purpose Lens released / For

Active Lifestyles – Includes Polarized version

AO Main plant today – Now Southbridge Hotel and Conference

Center

2001

• AO Southbridge Warehouse closed in June 2001 / Consolidate of AO and SOLA Distribution Centers

2002• AO Reunion at Southbridge Hotel and

Conference Center - ~500 attend

2005

• AO/SOLA/Carl Zeiss Ophthalmic merge to become Carl Zeiss Vision

• AO Glass Executive Lens operation ceases after ~53 years

2006- AO Compact Ultra First Introduced (Completing Dr. John Winthrop’s long series of AO Progressive Lens Designs)

Lens Date Introduced• Ultravue 1974 • Truvision® 1981 • Truvision OMNI 1988• Truvision Technica® 1990• AO Pro® 15 1992• AO Pro® 16 1994• AO Force® 55 1996• AO Compact® 1998• AO b' Active™ 2000• AO Pro Easy™ 2002• AO Compact® Ultr 2006

Chronology of AO history provided by the Optical Heritage Museum

• For more info, go to:• http:www.dickwhitney.net (click on AO history)• http:www.opticalheritagemuseum.org