American Optical History Table of Contents
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http://www.dickwhitney.net/RBWAOHistoryIndex.html
AO 1933 Emblem with George Wells for the 100th Anniversary
View Historical Listings
/ Timelines in American Optical's History-
Rev 15-Jun-09
AO History Chronology Slideshow
-
8mb Download of executable
AO's Lensometer - a ground breaking invention for Ophthalmic Optics Rev June 13, 2009
May
2009 Lensometer Display (courtesy of the Optical Heritage Museum)
at the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center
Download
April 1940 AO Vision Magazine (32mb pdf)
AO History as described in 1933 Document
Brochure from ~1960 titled "This is AO"
American Optical logos' through the years
AO Management Photo by the Main
Plant - ~late 1920's early 1930s
Donated by Jim Alden
AO Reunion Luncheons
Second Tuesday in June and Dec-
Next one is Tues. Dec 8th, 2009
at 12 Crane St in Southbridge
William Beecher -
The founder of AO in 1833
In Memory Of:
Recalling those AO employees
who have passed on - July 3, 2009
Recollections of Former
AO Employees Rev June 19, 2009
Check back for update soon - Stories are welcome!
The "AO" Optical Heritage Museum
The "Universalist
Church" Building at
368 Main St.,
Southbridge
Optical Heritage
Museum slideshow
5mb Download of executable New 04-Apr-06
Click on screen to advance slide
A view of American Optical Southbride Complex(top) taken
from Notre Dame Church
(~1916)
Image from JEL digital Treasures:
CWMars
on-line digital Library
AO's 1921 Article
titled "The story in a pair of Spectacles"
(3.5 mb pdf download)
How and why AO First made spectacle lenses in mass in 1888
AO's Ophthalmic
Lens Designers
Dr. Tillyer, Dr. Estelle Glancy and more!
Order Newly Published limited edition hardbound book by Tim Tillyer
-
Titled "Doc- A Biography of Edgar Derry Tillyer"
email Tim for Details
Dr Estelle
Glancy in her own words! - AO and Evolution of a Lens Designer
Courtesy of Wellesley College
Don Whitney and Ophthalmic Optics Rev May 5, 2009
Dick Whitney and Ophthalmic Optics
Glass
Executive Manufacturing prior to Southbridge Closure
Longest running ophthalmic product
line in AO's history
AO's Photolite lens - Worlds first plastic photochromic lens
Todd-AO-
50th Anniversary celebrated
in 2005
Fiber Optics
Learn about AO / Fiber Optics
in Jeff Hecht's book "City of Light"
AO Clock
- Time set in 1916 synchronized by Radio
Dave LaMarre / Wes Reed Article on AO Sunglass History (1975)
Ear Protection Boston Herald article - April 1962
AO Monoplex Plastic Eye Division 1949 Brochure
1971 AO Product Directory Catalogue
Pope Pius XII and his gift - AO Glasses in early 1950s
AO Main
Plant Demolition ("DOD Project" /
Southbridge
Hotel and Conference Center)
Construction
Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center - Former AO Main Plant
Clarifying when AO closed in Southbridge
A rare view of the AO Main Plant (Left - new brick construction,
Right Old wood building) ~1895
Image from JEL digital Treasures:
CWMars
on-line digital Library
March 12. 2009 photos of the Former AO
Main Plant, now the Southbridge
Hotel and Conference center.
November 1945 AO News Article
about "Steeple Tom"
Dick Whitney photos
A look inside
the AO Main Plant Clock Tower
Former AO Lens Plant "2L",
now building 50 and Power plant image from
http://local.live.com/
October 7, 2006 Walking Weekend tour of "AO complex"
Read about the Oct
8, 2005 Walking Weekend "AO Complex" tour -
Article courtesy of the Southbridge Evening News
Check
out the CWMars on-line digital Library
Southbridge Images courtesy of Jacob Edwards Library
AO Flood's - 1938 and 1955 Destruction
at Southbridge Facility
Download Audio Excerpt of WESO August 19, 1955 Broadcast taped by
Robert Haynes
Image provided Courtesy of Walter
Alan Stewart Famiily
For more info, also check out the recollections page below
Ophthalmic Industry Heritage Info
Recollections of Former
AO Employees
Stories are welcome!
Daniel Wells Schreck, Direct descendant of George W. Wells (Portrait)
in Southhbridge at
Wells Family
Reunion - June 2004
In Memory Of:
Recalling those AO employees
who have passed on
The AO Reunion of May 28, 2002
AO Reunion Group photo (Courtesty of Village Photo)
Order your AO own
high resolution photo / Reunion memorabilia!!!
AO 1933 Jon Swanson Medallion
Courtesy or Jay \Galst
June 2004
Don Whitney 1958 Talk
on AOLITE (AO's CR-39
plastic lenses)
The influence of CR-39 (sixty years after its introduction) - 2006 article by Dick Whitney
AOLITE Plastic Lens Casting Background (Don Whitney 1975 Writeup)
Family photo in front of the AO Main Plant in the Fall of 1954
AO Wellsworth Workers
"Americanization" Education - April 1926
Check out Mass Moments Look back at AO's 150th (June 18, 1983)
The June 1983 AO Parade
- celebrating 150 years!!
Photos of AO Employees in the 1920's ?
Snapshots in Time (Past Regional Newspaper Coverage describing AO)
Excerpts / Articles of Interest from the American Optical News
Quinebaug Valley Historical Society Text (G.Wells 1909 Speeches)
AO Life Publication (1930 Excerpts)
The AOCentenial Historical Publications (1933)
125th Anniversary Articles (1958)
150th Anniversary Historical Notes (1983)
Learn about the underground Tunnel on the
AO Complex
AO Postcard of Southbridge Facility at its prime- 1965 (Date Approximate)
Photo below were taken on the Stairway
in
the MainPlantCenter building which remains with the DOD
Facility Demolition / Construction.

Aug 1999 photo and Jan 2002 in the newly opened Southbridge Hotel and
Conference Center
"AO Room"
at UC Berkeley
School of Optometry
Photos of the Fall, Winter, and Spring at AO Southbridge (1999-2000 photos)
About the Author (Dick Whitney) and his AO Background
Interested in the History Antique Spectacles?
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