W. Johnson & Sons, established by William George Johnson in 1801, commenced trading at 9 Castle Street in Leicester Square. Johnson initially manufactured microscopes and barometers before diversifying to produce spectacles. In 1839 the company moved to 188 Tottenham Court Road and became commonly known as ‘Optician to the University Hospital’.
In 1862, the practice, managed by William’s son, another William, received the highest and only award granted for spectacle making at The International Exhibition and was subsequently granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria. In 1880 the family opened a factory manufacturing spectacles and medical instruments, and during the second world war they supplied gun sights for the armed services.
The practice was damaged by bombing During WW2 and later demolished in 1960 to make way for a modern office building where it was re-instated. Dudley Johson (great grandson of the founder) went on to develop a successful spectacle hire service, initially for the London theatres, then later for TV & Films. In 1997, the lease in Tottenham Court Road came to an end and the company was taken over by Zack Contact Lenses. Liz Johnson, the last member of the family still working as an optician continued to practice at Zacks until her retirement in 2011.
Maurice Zack qualified as an optometrist in 1959, completed contact lens specialist qualifications in 1966 and set up practice in Baker Street in 1968. As the practice grew, he moved premises to George Street W1 in the 1970s, then to Albany Street in the 1980’s before settling at 30 Warren Street in 1995.
Maurice was a regular contributor to ‘The Optician’ (magazine) and acted as a clinical investigator and advisor to several contact lens manufacturers including Cooper Vision, Bausch and Lomb, Focus, Cambridge Precision and Pilkington. He lectured widely at both UK and international events remaining an active member of the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists and The British Contact Lens Association until his retirement in 2013.
Eyes For You Opticians was a boutique dispensing practice located in South Molton Street (near Bond Street) in Mayfair. The company specialised in unusual and exclusive spectacle frames. In January 2011 their lease came to an end and the practice merged with Zacks Eye Clinic. Neena Joshi the practice manager continues to work at Zacks today.
The Kings Cross Eye Clinic (KCEC) was a state-of-the-art practice combining a wide spectrum of professional services with an optical store holding thousands of designer frames. Founded by Jonathan Cohen, the concept was to create an Optometric centre of excellence, offering specialist services at sensible prices.
The practice occupied modern, spacious premises near the new Kings Cross / St. Pancras International Station and was equipped with the very latest, high tech imaging equipment and optical laboratory. KCEC attracted much publicity, being the only UK practice to win two of the trade recognised ‘Optician Awards’ in its first year of practice. This success along with Jonathan’s initiatives in children’s eye care, diabetic retinal screening and orthokeratology culminated in being awarded 2009 ‘Optometrist of the year’. In 2010 the practice was flooded by burst water mains and Jonathan merged the business with Zacks in Warren Steet.
Andrew Gasson qualified as an optometrist in 1965 following in the footsteps of his father & grandfather. After specialising in contact lenses, he established a rooms practice at 51 Queen Anne St, (near Harley Street) in 1973. He acted as a consultant to Bausch and Lomb and Wohlk contact lenses and advised on several clinical trials of ‘new’ soft contact lenses.
Well known in the profession as a Contact lens specialist and author, Andrew was president of the Contact Lens Society in 1975 and served on the council of the subsequent British Contact Lens Association for several years. In 1984 he relocated the practice to 6 De Walden Street and grew the business, taking over patients from the long-established, pioneering contact lens fitting company of C. Davis Keeler in 1985 and the distinguished contact lens practitioner Anne Silk in 1992.
In 1998 Andrew Gasson became Chairman of the British Orthokeratology Society and from 2003-2004 was Vice-chairman of the Ophthalmic Ethics Committee (London). At the end of 2023 he merged the practice with Zacks Eye Clinic and retired in 2024.
Charles Henry Keeler was an accomplished inventor who took over the practice of his father Charles Davis Keeler, established at 47 Wigmore Street in 1917. He developed an interest in contact lenses and in 1937 set up a laboratory to manufacture and fit glass contact lenses. During World War II, he was appointed by the Air Ministry to fit burns cases and pilots with protective contact lenses. In 1946 he was the first treasurer of the newly formed Contact Lens Society and became president in 1953-1954. He then returned to his earlier interest in ophthalmic instruments for which he secured numerous patents. In 1969 Keeler was awarded an OBE for services to the partially sighted and in 1977 was made an honorary life member of the Contact Lens Society.
Dr Anne Silk, the first female Master of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers was known for breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field. Anne quickly advanced in her career as a dispensing optician, becoming the first female president of the Association of Dispensing Opticians from 1971–74. She then shifted her focus to contact lenses and established an international consultancy practice in Wimpole Street in the late 1970s.
After retiring from practice in 1992, Anne transitioned to a second career in neuroscience. Her extensive research and publications made significant contributions to understanding the impact of radiation and magnetic fields on brain function and the links between environmental factors and degenerative conditions
Anne took immense pride in her election as a fellow of both the Royal Society of Medicine and the Royal Society of Arts. In 2014, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Science from Bournemouth University following her extensive involvement in professional bodies including sitting on the General Optical Council and being an active member of the Institute of Physics and the US Bio-electromagnetics Society. Anne also contributed to national committees focused on brain disease and was a valued member of the Department of Health SAGE II Science Forum, eventually being co-opted onto the UK’s Health Protection Agency. She continued to inspire and support academic research well into her late eighties.
