History of your Vancouver Ocularist

Prior to World War II, most artificial eyes were made of glass; a material which could be used to produce a very realistic effect, but which was quite fragile. The war severely limited the availability of glass eyes, the best of which had, until then, been made in Germany. The search for a substitute material led to plastics; and, in the 1940’s, a number of researchers independently "invented" the plastic eye. The Erickson brothers, John ("Jack") and Charles ("Charlie"), opticians doing business in the Pacific Northwest, used a newly developed, non-irritating, durable plastic that could be custom-shaped, fitted, tinted and detailed to achieve a very natural effect. 

The development of the plastic eye also took another direction, one that was different from the Ericksons'. This development was based upon the idea that the glass eye could be replaced by a limited number of stock blanks that could be modified to fit the individual wearer. Although this type of eye is still available, its use is in decline, primarily due to the efforts of the American Society of Ocularists to educate patients about the advantages of the custom prosthesis. Erickson’s has always believed that the individually created eye is far superior in all critical areas including fit, comfort, and appearance. 

Ours is truly personalized work, with quality evaluation at specific stages throughout the process. We are devoted to our craft, and we continually refine both our materials and our techniques. Having served doctors and patients since the early 1940’s, Erickson’s ocularists have never been interested in being the biggest, only the best. Today, Lars and Stacey Erickson carry on that family tradition.