Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OPTICAL LENS TESTER C/W TRIAL LENSES

Date Range From

1930

Date Range To

1940

Materials

WOOD, GLASS, STEEL

No. Pieces

309

Height

10.0

Length

54.0

Width

31.5

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. 2 PIECES. MADE OF WOOD, EXTERIOR OF CASE IS PAINTED BROWN. EACH CORNER OF CASE HAS CHROME PLATED BRASS REINFORCEMENTS (MOST OF CHROME HAS WORN OFF), THAT ARE ATTACHED WITH THREE SCREWS. FRONT OF CASE HAS TWO LATCHES AND A LOCK. THERE IS ALSO A BLACK LEATHER HANDLE ATTACHED AT FRONT THAT IS REMOVABLE. INSIDE OF CASE IS LINED WITH DARK BURGUNDY VELVET. A FLAP INSIDE LID OF CASE OPENS TO REVEAL A COMPARTMENT FOR 2 DIMENSIONAL ITEMS. TOP LAYER OF CASE IS MADE OF WOOD AND COMPARTMENTALIZED. EACH COMPARTMENT IS MADE TO FIT VARIOUS SIZES OF LENSES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT. FOUR OF THE COMPARTMENTS ARE LABELLED AS FOLLOWS: "SPHERICAL CONCAVE", "CYLINDRICAL CONCAVE", "CYLINDRICAL CONVEX" AND "SPHERICAL CONVEX". A COMPARTMENT AT THE FRONT OF CASE HAS LABEL THAT READS "IMPERIAL OPTICAL CO. MANUFACTURING OPTICIANS TORONTO, WIINIPEG LONDON AND OTTAWA.". TOP LAYER OF CASE LIFTS OUT TO REVEAL BOTTOM LAYER WHICH IS ALSO DIVIDED INTO 7 RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENTS. 2. OPTICAL LENSES. 258 PIECES. LENSES ARE STORED IN TOP LAYER OF CASE. ALL LENSES HAVE A CHROME FRAME WITH A SMALL HANDLE TO ONE SIDE (WITH EITHER - OR + SHAPE CUT OUT) WITH A NUMBER ETCHED INTO IT (WHICH DILINEATES STRENGTH OF LENS). THERE ARE 70 "SPHERICAL CONCAVE" LENSES, 69 "SPHERICAL CONVEX" LENSES, 42 "CYLINDRICAL CONCAVE" LENSES, AND 42 "CYLINDRICAL CONVEX" LENSES. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE ANOTHER 35 LENSES IN CASE (5 IN ONE COMPARTMENT 30 IN ANOTHER). OF THESE 35 LENSES SOME ARE TINTED DIFFERENT COLOURS, OTHERS ARE OPAQUE WITH SLITS OR HOLES IN THEM, OTHERS ARE CLEAR WITH LINES ON THEM, AND OTHERS ARE THICKER ALONG ONE EDGE; THERE IS ONE FRAME WITH NO GLASS LENS IN IT. 3. OPTHALMOSCOPE BULBS. 1.5 X 5.6 X 3.6. 5 PIECES. RECTANGULAR, CLEAR PLASTIC CASE WITH YELLOW SPONGE INSERT. INSERT HAS 4 HOLES CUT OUT, 2 OF WHICH HOLD SMALL CHROME AND GLASS BULBS. LID OF CASE IS REMOVABLE (ONE SIDE OF LID IS BROKEN OFF). A PIECE OF PAPER TAPED TO LID READS "MEDELUX OPTHALMOSCOPE BULBS 250". CASE IS HELD TOGETHER BY ELASTIC BAND. 4. LENS TESTER. 17.2(L) X 5.6(W). METAL, MOSTLY PAINTED BLACK. ENDS OF ARMS ARE COVERED IN IVORY BAKELITE; NOSE PIECE IS WHITE BAKELITE. THERE IS A CIRCULAR GAUGE AROUND EACH EYEPIECE AND A STRAIGHT GAUGE ACROSS TOP. ON BACKSIDE OF STRAIGHT GAUGE IS "MADE IN U.S.A. PAT. PEND. AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY PAT. NO'S. 1,550,582 1,794,571". THERE ARE MULTIPLE ADJUSTING KNOBS THROUGHOUT. 5. BOTTLE. 3.0 X 1.5 X 1.5. 37 PIECES. SMALL CLEAR GLASS BOTTLE WITH SCREW-ON ALUMINUM CAP. EMBOSSED ON CAP IS "A" WITHIN A CIRCLE INSIDE A "C". EMBOSSED ON SIDES OF BOTTLE IS "70" AND "A. O. CO.". BOTTLE CONTAINS 35 SMALL SCREWS AND NUTS. 6. EYE CHART. 0.1 X 13.7 X 11.6. PAPER SHEET ENCASED IN PLASTIC. EDGES OF PLASTIC ARE WORN AND DIRTY. EGES OF PAPER YELLOWED. 6 PARAGRAPHS OF PROGRESSIVELY LARGER PRINT. EACH PARAGRAPH READS DIFFERENTLY. FIRST PARAGRAPH BEGINS "IF YOU GATHER APPLES IN THE SUNSHINE" . . . . 7. EYE CHART. 0.1 X 15.8 X 14.6. PAPER SHEET SEALED IN HARD PLASTIC. OBVERSE READS "UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO SCHOOL OF OPTOMETRY CARD DESIGNED FOR 16" WORKING DISTANCE". FOLLOWED BY 6 PARAGRAPHS OF PROGESSIVELY LARGER PRINT. THERE IS A LARGE HOLE THROUGH CARD ON RIGHT SIDE. REVERSE OF CARD HAS VARIOUS SYMBOLS ON IT. 8. EYE CHART. 0.1 X 58.0 X 28.3. OBVERSE CONSISTS OF 7 ROWS OF THE LETTER "E" IN VARIOUS POSITIONS IN PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER PRINT. AT BOTTOM IS "6" AND AT TOP IS A LINEAR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIVE OF A RISING (OR SETTING) SUN. THERE IS ALSO A GREEN AND A RED HORIZONTAL LINE MADE WITH CRAYON. ON REVERSE OF CHART WEAVED THREAD IS VISIBLE. TOP AND BOTTOM OF CHART HAVE A BLACK METAL BAND ACROSS THEM. CHART IS WORN AND DIRTY WITH MULTIPLE HOLES ALONG EDGES. 9. EYE CHART. 0.3 X 71.0 X 25.2. 3 PIECES. MADE OF 2 PIECES OF HEAVY CARD, MASKING TAPED AT CENTER. AT TOP READS "TEST CHART- LLEN RATING". BELOW IS A LINEAR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIVE OF A RISING (OR SETTING) SUN. BELOW THIS ARE 8 ROWS OF LETTERS IN PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER PRINT. THERE IS ALSO A GREEN AND A RED HORIZONTAL LINE ON CHART. AT BOTTOM OF CHART READS "THE ABOVE CHARACTERS SUBTEND THE VISUAL ANGLE OF 5' AT THE DESIGNATED DISTANCE IN FEET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SNELLEN NOTATION OF VISUAL ACUITY. BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY". THERE IS ALSO A SMALL PAPER ENVELOPE CLIPPED TO BOTTOM WHICH READS "CHECK EYES". TOP OF CHART HAS A HOLE WITH A COPPER WIRE THROUGH IT.

Subjects

CONTAINER

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO DR. A.A. MARSHALL FROM CALGARY, WHO OWNED A PRACTICE IN LETHBRIDGE WHERE DR. CLIFF PALMER (DONOR'S HUSBAND) WORKED. IN 19??, SIX MONTHS AFTER HE BEGAN WORKING THERE, CLIFF PALMER BOUGHT THE PRACTICE FROM MARSHALL AND THE LENSES CAME WITH. THE LENSES WERE USED AS TRIAL LENSES BUT BECAME OBSOLETE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW EQUIPMENT THAT HAD THE VARIOUS TYPES OF LENSES INSIDE. THESE LENSES WERE THEN USED BY DR. PALMER WHEN HE DID EXAMINATIONS ON INDIGENOUS RESERVES AS A BACKUP. ORIGINALLY THE CASE WAS BLACK BUT WAS PAINTED BROWN BY CLIFF PALMER. CLIFF PALMER WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1916, AND WENT TO OPTOMETRIC COLLEGE IN TORONTO. HE GRADUATED FROM OPTOMETRY SCHOOL IN 1937. THIS COLLEGE EVENTUALLY MOVED TO WATERLOO AND IS CURRENTLY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO. HE THEN STARTED PRACTICING IN WINNIPEG AT THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. AFTER WINNIPEG, HE BEGAN A POSITION WITH DR. A. ASHDOWN MARSHALL IN CALGARY. DR. MARSHALL HAD AN OFFICE IN LETHBRIDGE AND TRANSFERRED CLIFF THERE IN 1938. WITHIN SIX MONTHS CLIFF PALMER PURCHASED THE PRACTICE AND REMAINED IN PRACTICE IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1976. CLIFF WAS ACTIVE IN THE OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE ALBERTA CHAPTER FROM 1947-1949 AND PRESIDENT OF THE CANADIAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION FROM 1951-1953. CLIFF PALMER'S PARENTS, JOSEPH AND MABEL PALMER, ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE FROM NOTTINGHAM ENGLAND IN 1913. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A NEW LIFE IN CANADA. CLIFF'S OLDER BROTHER, EARL, WAS BORN IN 1914. CLIFF'S FATHER JOE WORKED AS AN ENGINEER FOR THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE AT THE LETHBRIDGE POWER HOUSE UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1952. MABEL WAS A HOMEMAKER WHO WAS ACTIVE IN HER COMMUNITY THROUGH THE UNITED CHURCH AND RED CROSS.

Catalogue Number

P20030026000

Acquisition Date

2004-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail