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Exhibitions
Current Exhibition
Contagion! Epidemics in Ophthalmic History
Plague, pestilence and pandemic are words that have struck fear for centuries. Even in ancient times diseases were believed to be somehow contagious. Before the development of modern germ theory in the late 1800s, the causes and cures of disease were largely a mystery.
Past Exhibitions
Collecting Ophthalmology: 30 Years at the Museum
In 1980 the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Ophthalmology established a foundation and museum at the behest of its President, Frederick C. Blodi, MD. Today the Museum of Vision is one of the world's leading collections of ophthalmic history.
Spectacular Spectacles
Explore the history of vision aids- from eyeglasses to telescopes. Take a look at the obscure beginnings of eyewear 700 years ago to current fashion.
To Fool the Eye
Take a look at the outrageous health claims made by colorful charlatans of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Their bogus remedies claimed to cure poor eyesight and anything else that might trouble you.
Windows to the Soul
Eyes and vision are powerful symbols of deities and knowledge. Explore ancient and modern legends from around the world.
The Eyes of War
In honor of the 60th Anniversary of VE Day, May 8, 1945, we explore the sacrifices of ophthalmologists as found in the museum's Academy Archives as well as wartime innovations in ophthalmology.
Picturing The Eye: Ophthalmic Film and Photography
Since its invention in the late 1830s, photography has changed the world and ultimately ophthalmology. The camera has served a unique purpose for ophthalmologists who have traditionally used the parts and functions of the camera to explain the function of the eye. Following the camera's introduction, physicians were among its first proponents.
