Pair of glass artificial eyes
 Catalogue Number: 2023 Pair of glass artificial eyes Category: Spectacles and lenses Sub-Category: Artificial eyes, facial prosthesis Designer/inventor: WATERS Frederick H Year Of Publication/Manufacture: c 1935 Time Period: 1900 to 1939 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Melbourne Publisher/Manufacturer: Frederick Waters Description Of Item: Two glass eyes, one with blue iris and one with brown, contained in a more modern round plastic pill box Historical Significance: These artificial eyes were made by Frederick Waters (1891-1947, b England worked in Australia from 1920), reputed to be the first artifical eye maker in Australia. Glass eyes were first made in Germany in 1835 although Shakespeare refers to glass eyes in King Lear. German craftsmen toured the world to make glass eyes. Plastic artificial eyes emerged after World War II and were often stock eyes fitted by opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. See booklet on the history of ocular protheses Cat No 1843 How Acquired: Donated by Lyn Hamer, granddaughter of Frederick Waters Date Acquired: May 2012 Condition: Excellent Location: Archive office. East wall shelves unit 3. Drawer 6 |