Echoes of the past: How Optician reported on industry news on the eve of WWII

This week the Echoes of the past retrospective looks at the April 7 issue of Optician from 1939. International tensions were high the week the issue went to press, as the threat of war loomed, but they may have been unduly lifted when rumours of Hitler’s death spread across America. A CBS radio broadcast on April 1 was cut short while the dictator was mid-sentence, leading many to think that he had been killed.

While international tensions were high, Optician was keen to report on optical industry news from around the world.

In Cuba, a compulsory register for the optical and pharmaceutical industries was introduced ahead of regulatory changes concerning the quality of goods in the sectors while in Denmark, the Sygekassernes Optik group of opticians in Copenhagen were reported to have incurred the wrath of the Danish Ministry. The group, part of insurance provider Sygekasse, was accused of exerting pressure on its members to dispense glasses at reduced prices.