BUSINESS SUMMARY
The well-known optical company was founded by two German immigrants,
John J. Bausch (1830-1926) and Henry Lomb (1828-1908). Although their
association dates back to 1850, they did not formally establish a partnership
until 1866. Beginning with the manufacture of hard rubber eyeglass frames,
they gradually expanded their lines of production to include reading
glasses and pocket microscopes. In 1874, they produced their first compound
microscope, and the name of the business was changed to Bausch &
Lomb Optical Company. By 1900, Bausch & Lomb had become the leading
American manufacturer of microscopes (30,000), and the third largest
in the world after Ernst Leitz and Carl Zeiss.