Cooper Hewitt says...
London-based business belonging to the Dollond family of precision optical and scientific instrument makers. The firm was founded in 1750 by Peter Dollond (1731-1820) under his father John’s guidance. John (1706-1761), the son of a Huguenot refugee and silk-weaver in Spitalfields, studied mathematics, physics and optics in his youth, eventually gaining fame for developing a telescope with non-color distorting lenses. By 1752, the optical firm’s success enabled John to quit the weaving trade and go into partnership with Peter. In 1761 John was appointed optician to King George III.
Peter’s nephew George Dollond (1774-1852) assumed responsibility for Dollond and Co. around 1820 and shortened the firm name to Dollond. The firm continued to develop innovative optical devices and produce precision instruments, winning a medal for excellence at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1927, the business merged with Aitchison & Co., becoming Dollond & Aitchison. Dollond & Aitchison was absorbed by Boots Opticians in 2009.
