The Bernell Book. Ophthalmic instruments and supplies
 Catalogue Number: 1868 The Bernell Book. Ophthalmic instruments and supplies Category: Book Sub-Category: Product catalogue Corporation: Bernell Corporation Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1982 1984, 1991 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: South Bend Indiana Publisher/Manufacturer: Bernell Corporation Description Of Item: Two product catalogues for the Bernell Corporation (1) Printed light card cover, 94 paginated pages plus four tear out order form pages at back, profusely illustrated, dated 1984, with slip in letter to the Victorian College of Optometry dated Feb 6 1985 with a 6 page price list. (2) Printed light card cover, 46 paginated pages plus index, profusely illustrated, undated, coloured card price list and order form stapled in centre dated 1982, with slip in letter dated June 1991. Historical Significance: These product catalogues reflect the diversity and ingenuity of ophthalmic product development especially in the fields of binocular vision and vision training in the second half of the 20th C. Bernell is a large supplier of vision test products and other materials for optometric practice. The original company was founded in 1954 by Dr. Bernard Vodnoy and his wife Nellie (hence BERnell). The company was rebuilt when it had financial problems in 1997 by two practising optometrists, Dr. Craig Andrews and Dr. Charles Shearer. It specialises in low cost binocular vision and visual training materials that could be loaned or sold to patients for home training. This kind of material lead to the abandonment from the 1980s of the synoptophore as the main diagnostic and training instrument How Acquired: Record of VCO Condition: Good Location: Archive office. Pamphlet and ephemera filing cabinet. Drawer 5 |