Link: Examining the Fascinating Typographic History Of Eye Charts

Did you know that they first eye chart ever created was created by Dr. Küchler, a German ophthalmologist? He designed a chart in 1836 using figures cut from calendars, books, and newspapers glued in rows of decreasing sizes onto paper.

I don't remember learning about him in Optometry school! 

Next came the well-known Snellen chart which was designed by Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen in 1862. Then in 1868, Dr. John Green of the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons in Missouri decided to make some changes to the Snellen Eye Chart.

In 1959, Dr. Louise Sloan of Johns Hopkins University created ten new optotypes using sans serif letters preferred by Dr. Green. In 1976, Ian Bailey and Jan E Lovie-Kitchin of the National Vision Institute of Australia proposed a new chart layout.

And in 1982, when the National Eye Institute needed standardized charts for its “Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study” (ETDRS), Dr. Rick Ferris combined the Green and Bailey-Lovie Charts’ logarithmic progression and format with the Sloan Letters.

In more recent years there has been a move to create electronic charts, including the British-designed Test Chart 2000, which was the world’s first Windows-based computerized test chart.

Interested in learning more about the interesting evolution of the eye-chart? Check out this article!