William Feinbloom (1904-1985)—a New Yorker who received an optometric degree from the Columbia University School of Optometry in 1923, and later a PhD from that school—developed the first practical contact lenses in 1936, and established Optical Research, Inc. soon thereafter. That firm donated these contact lenses to the Smithsonian in 1942.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.