Glass slides from Vision Tester 2000 MTS
 Catalogue Number: 4035 Glass slides from Vision Tester 2000 MTS Category: Equipment Sub-Category: Vision screener Year Of Publication/Manufacture: c1970 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Chicago, Ill, USA Publisher/Manufacturer: Stereo Optical Co Description Of Item: 12 glass slides, each 150mm x 58mm and edged in black tape, from a Vision Tester 2000 vision screener by the Stereo Optical Co. The selection of 12 slides is to test near and far acuity, monocularly and binocularly, with letters and Tumbling E, near and far point muscle balance and colour vision. The 12 slides are numbered 2000-003, 004, 007, 012, 014, 015, 016, 017, 019, 020, 022 and 025. This selection is still available for the Optic 5000 Series vision screener as the 'Medical with Pre School Slide Package'. Historical Significance: The Stereo Optical Co website offers this selection of slides 'For the complete vision screening needs preschool through adult. Ideal for School, Athletic Physicals, Employment Physicals and General Check-ups'. Vision screening in industry to ensure work place safety and work efficiency emerged in the 1940s and gained impetus through the perceived need to test the vision of servicemen in World War 2 (1939 - 1945). Bausch and Lomb produced its orthorater in the 1940s; the American Optical Company produced its Sight Screener and many other optical companies followed suit. Books on occupational optometry and ophthamology were written in the 1950s (eg Hofstetter's Industrial Optometry 1956; Kuhn's Industrial Ophthalmology 1944, 1950 See Cat Nos 700, 1404). Coles and Garrard, the original owner of these slides, was a large Melbourne optometry firm that offered vision screening and heat-toughened glasses to manufacturing industry from the 1950s and used vision screeners in that work. How Acquired: Donated by OPSM via Steve Giacon Date Acquired: 2003 Condition: Very good Location: Archive room. West wall. Unit 1 Drawer 4 |