The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Advancing Education, Providing Better Care
  
 
 
Ophthalmic Heritage & Museum of Vision

The Museum of Vision is undertaking a special effort to preserve its collection. This project entails photographing artifacts and digitizing archives in order to make them widely available through the Internet. When this project is finished, the entire collection database will be searchable here at museumofvision.org.

Below is a snap shot of the kinds of objects we have preserved so far, but over 32,000 objects still need be photographed and digitized. The Museum of Vision is the only museum in the United States devoted to the entire history of ophthalmology. Please consider a pledge of support for our efforts on behalf of ophthalmic heritage. Thank You.

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French Brise Fan with Monocular, c.1810
The Harriet and J. William Rosenthal, MD Collection

This plastic ladies fan has a silk ribbon woven through its blades and the fulcrum holds a simple monocular.

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Colledge Ophthalmic Infirmary, c.1850
The Harriet and J. William Rosenthal, MD Collection

Dr. Thomas R. Colledge (1796-1879) founded the Colledge Ophthalmic Hospital on the island of Macao, off the coast of China, in 1827. A British trained physician and missionary, Colledge remained in Macao until 1838. This delicate pen and ink drawing is unsigned.

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Keratometer, c.1930
Manufactured by General Optical Company
Gift of Elizabeth R. Jaeckle

Keratometers or ophthalmometers measure the curvature of the cornea.
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Black and white photograph, c.1940
Gift of Torrence Makley, MD

Photo is of Drs. Conrad Berens, Derrick Vail, and Al Cowan
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Violet ray machine and instruction manual, c1940
Manufactured by Montgomery Ward
Gift of Jeanne Koppinger, RN

Violet ray generators were promoted as a stimulant to the optic nerve and as a means to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.
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Operating loupe, c.1950
Manufactured by Carl Zeiss, Jena
Gift of Richard Zorab

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EENT set, 1926
Manufactured by DeZeng Company
Gift of Spencer Sherman, MD

Set contains a universal handle with ophthalmoscope head and ear speculum.

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Children’s Eye Chart, c1930
Gift of Elizabeth R. Jaeckle

A child is shown pictures on a wall chart and matches it to these wooden shapes.
 undefined Silver satirical medal, 17th century
Gift of Jay M. Galst, MD 

Obverse depicts a man with a hand over his face, holding a pair of spectacles. German inscription reads: "Not Through Spectacles".


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