MIDDLE ROW - Trial Lens Cabinet

Trial Lens Cabinet, circa 1899
Donor: Dr. Harold T. Prange, 2008

This cabinet, made by the American Optical Company of Southbridge, Massachusetts, displays and stores lenses used for testing eyesight. Henry T. Prange used this cabinet when he opened his optometry practice in Kalamazoo in 1899. H.T. Prange & Sons Optometrists remained a family-owned practice in Kalamazoo for over a century.

Professional

Professional optometry was in its early stages when Henry T. Prange set up his practice in Kalamazoo in 1899. The scientific study of eyes has been going on for centuries, but the idea of optometry as a profession is relatively modern. The American Association of Opticians was formed in 1898, while Minnesota was the first state to recognize the professional practice of optometry in 1901.

Birthplace of American

The American Optical Company, founded in 1833 by William Beecher, is said to have fostered the modern American optical industry. Before the country began to manufacture its own eyeglasses, frames and lenses were usually imported from Europe. By the turn of the century, the American Optical Company had dramatically expanded their exporting industry, which is presumably how Henry T. Prange of Kalamazoo came into possession of this trial lens cabinet.