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Test your Knowledge

with our light-hearted quiz

Twenty questions with answers below….

Click on the image to both enlarge it and see the question

01 What is this used for?

02 What is special about this frame and who patented the style in 1874?

03 Designed by Mr Maddox (of the rod), but what am I?

04 While sliding lenses could drive you to distraction, what is my purpose?

05 I am not a straighforward clip-on, so what am I now used for?

06 Another 'I accidentally sat on my glasses' incident..... or not?

07 Who is the man behind this frame?

08 As a general rule, when was this used?

09 Better than a poke in the eye, what are they?

10 Open & Shut case? What does it do?

11 They reduce the amount of stock carried, what is their correct title?

12 Name the materials used (two)

13 Possibly shocking if you still use this? When/where was it used?

14 Which famous flying ace is repeatedly shot down by the Red Baron?

15 Carrier for a fake moustache? That would be a gas!

16 Spherometer or Lens Measure? Which is correct?

17 What could this strange lorgnette possibly be used for?

18 What is the use for the files top and bottom? - the centre one is a standard file for comparison

19 What is the modern equivalent?

20 What am I?

Keep scrolling down for the Answers…. How did you do?

01a Measuring the crest and side angle. This later Cole-Blackburn inclinometer for crest angle only dates to mid 1900s

02a George Richard Elkington's angled side joints, intended for near work

03a Axis Finder for cylindrical lenses when hand neutralising glazed spectacles. See OA 155 April 2021

04a Headlight anti-glare spectacles, lenses slide to opposite side for those countries who drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. See OA 155, and OA 166 for the Glarex glasses

05a Developed from Henry Rottenburg's 1933 design enabling lecturers to simultaneously see their notes and the audience they are now known as Lazy Glasses for watching TV while in bed. Reversed they are used as Belay Glasses.

06a c1975 Butterworths Billiard Spectacles with variable joint angle set at bridge height so the side lentgh does not vary with changes in side angle. Clear top sits under the brow and well out of sight-line when angled back

07a Benjamin Martin (1704-1782) is renowned for his margins of shell or horn to reduce peripheral lens aberrations and reduce glare. Thinner margins were later used to reduce the size and thickness of high powered lenses such as this quizzer with a power of +15.75DS. See OA 166 October 2023

08a-The-Optician-Vol-XVIII_29-Sep-1899

09a "A very useful article for removing an Artificial Eye from its socket. It prevents injuries to the socket and breakage of Eyes" Patented 1909

10a Punch for personalising metal spring lidded cases with the patient's initials

11a Larger eyesize not in stock? Simply heat and stretch the next size down with the right shaped mandrel

12a Paktong frame and Quartz lenses (not glass)

13a Used since the early 1900s when electric sockets were few. Plug it into a ceiling light socket and power up your new electric ophthalmoscope. This catalogue page dates to 1955

14a Instantly recognisable, Schultz's famous beagle

15a Catheter spectacles for delivery of oxygen, development from trench warfare in WWI. See OA 106 January 2009 for more details

16a Both! Spherometer using the circular base, lens measure using the three points for astigmatic lenses. See OA 155 April 2021

17a Lorgnette to demonstrate round segment versus D segment bifocals

18a Grooving file used on side ends and nasal areas of rims to reduce slipping

19a The Clavulus was born out of this rivetting unit

20a Double sided STOCO (Standard Optical Co) Eye Size Indicator - the good old days when life was simple and frames were either round or oval

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