150 years of Bausch & Lomb

Bausch & Lomb celebrates 150 years of activity: a very important goal for the company and testifies to a history of dedication and commitment to eye care, as well as constant technological innovation at the service of the consumer.

Bausch & Lomb was a small workshop for eyewear frames which was set up in Rochester (N.Y.) in 1853, and where the central office is still situated to this day, by two German immigrants, John J. Bausch and Henry Lomb, who used vulcanite to make modern frames for glasses.

In 1870 the small workshop became Bausch & Lomb Optical Company and, in addition to frames, it began producing high-quality lenses for glasses and precision optical products. In 1877, Bausch & Lomb won international awards for the high technological level and design of its binoculars and precision microscopes.

But this was only the start of the recognition its was to receive for its commitment to the production of excellence and perfection: thanks to its technological advancement, over the years, Bausch & Lomb have continued to be pioneers in the development of products in the optical sector.

Bausch & Lomb lenses revolutionized the movie-making industry and won the Cinemascope Oscar for the company in 1955; Bausch & Lomb lenses were mounted on the instruments that photographed the moon in 1965 and, again thanks to Bausch & Lomb research, the first soft contact lenses were introduced to the world at the beginning of the Seventies.

The last decade has seen great expansion and continued technological innovation. With its 150 years on the optical market, annual billings of 1.8 billion euros, approximately 11,500 employees in 35 countries, and distribution to over 100 countries worldwide, Bausch & Lomb is preparing to meet new challenges with the same dedication and commitment that have symbolized its history of successes.