Museum of Vision

Dedicated to preserving ophthalmic history

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  1. Collecting Ophthalmology: 30 Years at the Museum
  2. Spectacular Spectacles
  3. To Fool the Eye
  4. Windows to the Soul
  5. The Eyes of War
  6. Picturing The Eye: Ophthalmic Film and Photography
  7. Contagion! Epidemics in Ophthalmic History

Exhibitions

Past Exhibitions

Spectacles, c1960
French prescription spectacles, c1960

Spectacular Spectacles

Explore the history of vision aids- from eyeglasses to telescopes.  Take a look at the obscure beginnings of eyewear 700 years ago to current fashion.

For thousands of people, spectacles bring the world into focus. Few people, however, understand how eyeglasses work and many would be surprised by the different styles that have been made over the centuries.   Here we discover how man has sought to improve and protect eyes.



  1. How the Eye and Eyeglasses Work
  2. Brief History of Optics and Lenses
  3. Spectacles Through the Ages
  4. Contact Lenses
  5. Telescopes and Binoculars
  6. Protective Eyewear


American Academy of Ophthalmology