Catalogue for aids for patients with low visual acuity

Historical Significance: The low vision era began in the mid 20th century although there were spectacle mounted telescopic magnifiers for the partially sighted made by Zeiss in the 1920s and William Feinbloom in the USA was providing leadership and inventiveness in the field in the 1930s. The field 'took off' in the 1950s and 1960s with the Lederer lenses becoming available in 1954, the Keeler telescopic fitting set in 1955, and Normal Bier writing his book on low vision in 1960. The Kooyong Low Vision Clinic was established in 1972. This product catalogue from the British Dispensing Optician and Instrument Makers, Rayner, located at 100 Bond Street, London is dated 1956. It shows an impressively diverse range of products to assist those with low vision. The catalogue includes anglepoise desk lamps, spectacles with shaded edges, side cups and shades, magnifiers, including stand magnifiers and those with built-in illumination, reading stands, telescope spectacle mounted magnifiers for distance and near, as well as aids to testing and fitting these devices