Frank Dickinson (1906-1978)

Papers of contact lens pioneer Frank Dickinson (1906-1978). Includes lecture notes, conference papers and other published and unpublishd writings, cuttings, ephemera, and photographs, mostly relating to contact lenses and allied optical issues, with some general biographical materials on Dickinson.

1930s-2001

9 boxes, 1 digital item 461 MB (484417026 bytes)

These papers were sorted and listed by Dickinson's son Peter prior to their arrival in the Library and include annotations by him providing supplementary contextual information. Peter Dickinson's arrangement of the collection has, for the most part, been maintained. The collection is in 5 sections:

A. Personal and biographical

B. "Year files" [publications]

C. General files

D. Publications

E. Photographs

These papers were received from Dickinson's son, Professor Peter Dickinson, in 2006

Frank Dickinson (1906-1978) was an Optometrist and contact lens pioneer, researcher and writer, who developed the micro-corneal lens.

Dickinson was born in Blackpool in 1906. In 1921, he was articled to his aunt, Maud Farnworth, who had an optical practice in Lytham St Annes. He obtained a diploma of the British Optical Association from the College of Technology in Manchester at the age of nineteen, though he was not able to use this professional qualification until he reached twenty-one.

In 1930 he set up his own optical practice, moving premises two years' later. His practice drew interest from the press, with its modern décor and equipment featuring in the Lytham St Annes Review and in trade publications. In 1935 he began to study contact lenses, which took him to the USA in 1936 and again in 1939. On this second visit, a chance encounter led him to meet K. Clifford Hall and a collaboration together on the first British textbook An Introduction to the Prescribing and Fitting of Contact Lenses (1946).

During WWII, Dickinson worked as Senior Refractionist at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Chorley. In the immediate post war period, he visited South Africa with the aim of introducing contact lens techniques. He returned to visit South Africa on multiple occasions to contribute to developing optometric practice.

In 1946 he was a founder member of the UK Contact Lens Society, and in 1952 became Founder-Secretary of the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists (ISCLS). The ISCLS arose from collaboration with Dr Wilhelm P. Söhnges and Dr John C. Neil. With these colleagues, Dickinson developed a new type of lens, the microlens, which was introduced it in 1952. The simpler technique of the small corneal lens gave new impetus to Dickinson's advocacy of contact lenses. Throughout his career he was concerned both with research on contact lenses and advocating their use, and in maintaining standards within his profession.

Dickinson served on the Council of the British Optical Association from 1947 and became President in 1961, the year when he became Founder Chairman of the Ophthalmic Group of the Royal Society of Health, of which he became a Fellow (1965). He also taught optometry at the College of Technology (later UMIST) Manchester. In 1965 Dickinson became a Director of Dollond and Aitchison Limited. He served as Vice-Chairman and finally Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee until his death.

Dickinson had numerous international connections and honours. He learnt German in the 1950s in order to attend and speak at German-speaking conferences, going on to receive the Herschel Gold Medal of the ISCLS (1957) and was made an Honorary Member of the West German Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung der Augenoptiker (1967), where he had been a guest lecturer at congresses for several years. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (1945); was given the Doctor of Ocular Science, Beta Sigma Kappa (Scientific Section), Chicago (1956); the Grand Honours Award of the Eye Research Foundation (1959); Contact Lens Diplomas from the International College of Ocular Science, Illinois (1956) and the American Academy of Optometry (1962); and the International Award of the Heart of America Contact Lens Society (1971). At home he received the Research Medal of the British Optical Association (1960); the Owen Aves Medal of the Yorkshire Optical Society (1962); and an Honorary MSc from Bradford University. In 1980, Dollond and Aitchison endowed the Frank Dickinson Tutorial Clinic at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

In his personal life, Dickinson was a keen musician. He was an organist and choirmaster at two local Methodist Churches (Fairhaven, 1933-1943; Park Street, Lytham, 1950-1977), and organised the Concert Party, a variety show for local entertainment during the war. In 1932, he married Muriel Porter (1906-2003), who shared his love of music. Together, he acted as compere, would play piano for soloists and Muriel would give recitations. Their two children Peter and Meriel would go on to become musicians.

Dickinson wore contact lenses himself, and his daughter also began wearing contact lenses at the age of twelve. Dickinson remained committed to his practice and patients and did not retire from his work. He died in 1978.

This biographical description has been compiled using information from Professor Peter Dickinson's website (son of Frank Dickinson) in 2022. Further information can be found on his website: https://foxborough.co.uk/

This collection has been catalogued and is available to library members. Some items have access restrictions which are explained in the item-level catalogue records.

Abbreviations used in this catalogue include:

BCLA: British Contact Lens Association

BOA: British Optical Association

CL: contact lens

CLS: Contact Lens Society

FD: Frank Dickinson (1906-1978)

ISCLS: International Society of Contact Lens Specialists

PD: Peter Dickinson (son of Frank)

SAOA: South African Optometric Association

UMIST: University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology

WVAO: Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung für Augenoptik und Optometrie