Gowllands Limited 1946 Slideshow

The photographs comprising this Photo Gallery were taken by a professional photographer in 1946, and a dozen or so of them incorporated in a ring-bound booklet which Geoffrey Gowlland sent to overseas buyers, primarily in order to reassure them that the factory was back in full production after the disruptions caused by the war.  Viewed sixty years later one may think that the primitiveness of the manufacturing operations might not have been something to publicise, but no doubt the view in those days was different.

Click on any thumbnail for an enlargement: click a second time to double the size.

 

Glass Grinding Department

General view

Glass Grinding Department

Moulding glass lenses using gas furnace - Mr Jim Norman

Glass Grinding Department

Moulding glass lenses using electric furnace

Glass Grinding Department

Removing cooled glass moulds from lehr

Glass Grinding Department

Gauging glass blanks for thickness

Glass Grinding Department

Edging glass blank prior to working

Glass Grinding Department

Polishing large shallow blocks

Glass Grinding Department

Smoothing large block of mirrors - Mr Ernie Walker

Glass Grinding Department

Smoothing small block of lenses

Glass Grinding Department

Polishing mirrors

Glass Grinding Department

Polished mirrors

Glass Grinding Department

Inspecting large block of mirrors - Mr Harry Jarrott

Glass Grinding Department

Inspecting large block of finished mirrors - Miss Barbara Watson

Glass Grinding Department

Spraying portective coating on finished and inspected mirrors

Glass Grinding Department

Grinding and polishing conical prisms for May ophthalmoscope - Mrs Nellie Smith

Glass Grinding Department

Finished prisms for ophthalmoscopes

Glass Grinding Department

Block of galvanometer mirrors ready for smoothing

Glass Grinding Department

Block of galvanometer mirrors ready for polishing

Glass Grinding Department

Centreing lenses for trial cases

Glass Grinding Department

Centreing ophthalmic lenses

Glass Grinding Department

Finished lenses, mirrors and prisms

Dental Department

Silvering dental mirrors

Dental Department

Cleaning (inside fume cupboard) newly silvered dental mirrors

Dental Department

Silvering laboratory mirrors

Maintenance Department

Servicing cast-iron tools and runners from Glass Grinding Department

Instrument Department

Large capstan lathe turning of components

Instrument Department

Small capstan lathe turning

Instrument Department

Batches of finished components for lens measure awaiting degreasing, chrome-plating and assembly

Instrument Department

Drilling and countersinking holes for lenses in recoss disc of May ophthalmoscope

Instrument Department

Tapping thread in instrument component

Plating Department

Chrome- and nickel-plating - Mrs Elsie Bone and Miss Betty Flannery

Assembly Department

Checking miniature lenses and assembling into lens train of Morton ophthalmoscope

Despatch Department

Drawing ophthalmic lenses from stock - Mrs Norma Bull

Despatch Department

Finished trial cases

Despatch Department

Finished diagnostic sets - Mr Arthur Diplock