You’re invited! Binyon Vision Center is proud to host three of our amazing independent frame lines for a most unique shopping experience!
What is a glasses trunk show?
A trunk show is an opportunity for a manufacturer to bring in their entire collection to a retail partner. As much as an optical boutique like ours would love to carry every pair of glasses in every color, we get to choose our inventory carefully.
During a glasses trunk show, we get a limited opportunity to bring in every frame from one of our manufacturers in every color and it is SO fun. This time, we’re doing that with three very different frame lines- providing so much variety there will indeed be something for everyone!
All the details…
Before we go on- here are the details to add to your calendar:
When? October 18th
What time? 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where? Binyon Vision Center 411 E. Magnolia Street Bellingham, WA!
Do I need an appointment? No – unless you’d like to design a custom Feb31st frame (more details below). If that’s the case- schedule an appointment by emailing our office manager, Calana at calana@binyonvision.com. Space is limited so contact her soon!
Glasses Lines Coming!
l.a. Eyeworks has made a colorful splash in Bellingham since the line came to Binyon three years ago! For the first time, we’ll be able to show Bellingham the entire collection and if you’re into extreme color, shapes or even just something completely unique and different (feathers embedded in your glasses for example?) you’ll love what you see! Browse their glasses here and don’t forget to check out their beautiful advertisements: https://www.laeyeworks.com/.
Feb31st eye glasses frames are made completely to order. If you’ve ever dreamed of designing your own glasses, this is your opportunity! Created from layers of wood in a special laminating process- you get to pick the shape, size, colors and even have fun with custom engraving. Many of our patients who have been through the process describe these as the most comfortable frames they’ve ever worn! More details about the sustainable manufacturing process and design options here: https://feb31st.it/.
Article One rounds out these lines with classic offerings, the type of staples we all need in our glasses wardrobe. They also offer a very unique line of activewear – great glasses and sunglasses with small details to help them stay in place during workouts. See the collection here: https://articleoneeyewear.com/.
Something for Everyone Trunk Show!
All glasses lovers – we don’t want you to miss out on this opportunity! You can see the depth and breadth of these three amazing collection and we promise this will be a great time! See you October 18th!
Binyon Optical Company was founded in 1911 in Seattle then quickly expanded across Washington
First Binyon Optical location – 1116 1st Street in Seattle, photo estimate 1913, collection of Binyon Vision Center
Dr. James R. Binyon opened the first Binyon Optical Company in 1911 on First Avenue in Seattle. He went on to open several other offices in Everett, Tacoma, Spokane, Richland, Yakima, Bremerton and Bellingham, which opened in 1934. At one time, it was estimated one of every three Washington families wore glasses dispensed by Binyon Optometrists. Binyon optometrists and opticians were trained to be masters of their craft- providing an excellence in glasses and service not found elsewhere. Today there are three remaining operating clinics with the Binyon name in Bellingham, Burien and Seattle, each operating independently.
First Binyon location in Bellingham – 107 E. Holly Street – photo approximately 1940 – collection of Binyon Vision Center. See Binyon Optical sign on right side of street, just down from the current Horseshoe Cafe.
Binyon Optical- a presence in downtown Bellingham since the 1930’s
The Binyon office in Bellingham has always operated out of downtown- on Holly, Cornwall, Railroad Avenue and since 1993 on the corner of Garden and Magnolia Street. The Holly Street storefront opened in 1934 with Dr. J. H. Peterson practicing. The office moved to Cornwall Avenue in 1947. In 1951, Dr. Binyon’s nephew Dr. LeRoy Freeman moved to up to practice in the Bellingham office. Binyon made another downtown move to the corner of Railroad and Magnolia Street in 1974. Dr. Terrence Hansen joined Binyon Optometrists as an associate during that time. In 1980, Dr. Mark McEathron joined the practice. When Dr. Freeman passed away in 1985, Dr. McEathron, who was a partner at that time became the sole owner. In 1992, the office moved three blocks east on Magnolia into the former Pietro’s Pizza restaurant. This location offers over 1,000 square feet dedicated to frames displays and off-street parking. In 2019, Dr. Heather LeClaire joined Binyon Vision Center as an associate. After two years, she purchased the practice from Dr. McEathron, making her the first woman owner.
Downtown Bellingham Binyon locations and dates – for reference, the top to the bottom of the map represents approximately 0.5 mile.
American History through Binyon Newspaper Advertisements
We have a unique opportunity to look at a business- in this case an optometrist office that provides eye exams and glasses- through the eyes of its newspaper advertisements. While today we have instant access to an internet search of “Bellingham optometrist,” even as recently as the 1990’s, newspaper marketing was vital for being seen by prospective and returning patients.
The Bellingham Herald was founded in 1890 as the Fairhaven Herald, and after a few mergers (just like our city), was renamed the Bellingham Herald in 1903. An amazing online resource – newspapers.com is the largest online newspaper archive – containing archives back to the 1770’s from over 23,900 newspapers including the Bellingham Herald. A search for “Binyon” in the Bellingham Herald brought up advertisements and press releases going back to the 1930’s. The creativity and current event references in these advertisements are a peek into marketing, US history, optometry, and downtown Bellingham. Here is a breakdown by decade of the historical advertisements for Binyon in the Bellingham Herald.
Bellingham Herald Advertisements from the 1930’s
During the 1930’s, years of depression and economic hardship for the United States and Bellingham, Binyon advertisements focused on the importance of eye exams and subtly hinted at the stress on Bellingham resident’s finances. “We do not prescribe glasses unless absolutely necessary” appears in a few adverts.
An emphasis on the science of visual defects, having skilled, registered optometrists, and modernized equipment highlights eye health and vision as an important part of overall health and establishing credibility in the health profession.
An often repeated slogan is “Binyonize Your Eyes,” and by this point, Binyon Opticals had been operating for 20 years in other locations and had gained a healthy reputation for quality and service.
Binyon Optical Advertisements in the Bellingham Herald 1930’s. Source: newspapers.com
Bellingham Herald Advertisements from the 1940’s
In the early 1940’s the themes of the past decade’s advertisements continued – “Your Eyes Deserve the Best” and “Truly Friendly Service” are notable phrases the company used to distinguish itself. The advertisements include higher quality artwork and reference the entire chain of Binyon plus wisely pointing out the doctor’s name and address for the Bellingham location.
When the United States entered WWII, you see a definite shift in the messaging to relate the importance of having good vision to help the country’s wartime effort. It is fascinating to see the connection of one of the key times in US History to a local optometry’s advertisements. Visual efficiency is even called a patriotic duty and essential to help with wartime production. To note, the Bellingham Shipyard was the largest privately owned shipyard in the US in the 1940’s. They produced minesweepers during the war for the United States Navy.
Other interesting additions in the 1940’s ads are the discussion of children’s vision and its effect on school work:
When the war ends, the advertisements go back to focusing on quality and service. One ad shows the proper steps to taking care of glasses. Binyon advertisements give solid advice for getting the most out of your glasses, the last step being to visit a quality optometrist for adjustments and new glasses when necessary.
Binyon Optical Advertisement in Bellingham Herald 1940’s. Source: newspapers.com
The quality of glasses is a frequent theme in advertisements, including the importance of taking proper measurements and lens manufacturing. This is also an introduction to the “look” of glasses – the idea they can make you look younger and have style.
Like we see every November on social media – there is an advertisement posted to remember to vote.
Binyon Optical Advertisement in Bellingham Herald 1940’s. Source: newspapers.com
There are also lifestyle advertisements in the later 1940’s – addressing specific tasks and their visual needs and how Binyon glasses can help address. “Enjoy Good Vision… Enjoy Sports More” is one tagline.
In 1947, the office moved to a new location, announced with a press release and a change in logo in some of the proceeding advertisements.
Stay tuned for advertisements from the 1950 – 2000!
The advertisements from the Bellingham Herald by Binyon Optical Company in the 1930’s and 1940’s are an extensive walk through this important time period, in the most used medium of the day. There are five more decades to cover, with the newspaper advertisements becoming less each decade as other forms of marketing emerge. Stay tuned for the additional treasures to come in next month’s blog post!
In our not-so-biased opinion – being an optician is one of the coolest jobs. Helping people to see by working with a patient to fill glasses prescriptions is incredibly rewarding. We are so excited to watch our new optician apprentices embark on this journey.
Heather and Jordan, Optician Apprentice, August 2022
Heather and Jordan both come from strong customer service backgrounds. Being able to listen and help meet patient’s needs is critical for this role. With that foundation, they are working on adding the technical components of the job. These include:
Incoming quality inspection of all glasses orders
Repairing and adjusting glasses for patients
Understanding all the lenses, lens materials, and lens treatment option
Understanding the components of frames and which work well for different prescriptions and faces
Taking measurements for patient’s glasses
Entering orders and working with the lab who makes all our lenses.
Jordan practices taking Heather’s pupillary distance (PD) using a pupillometer.
Proper measurement for a pupillary distance is a critical part of making glasses! We have a small tolerance for error because we have seen patients experience unintended distortion and discomfort with glasses made to the wrong pupillary distance. Our optician apprentices practice taking the pupillary distance for the entire staff and compare to the measurements from our experienced opticians. We troubleshoot technique until they are repeatably and accurately taking the measurements!
This is a fun journey we look forward to sharing with you! If you come in the office in the next few months, you may work with one of our optician apprentices as they are still shadowing or in training. Thank you for your patience as we place a high value on training our opticians to help you find the best frames and lenses possible!
The team at Binyon Vision Center LOVES bringing unique, fun, independent eyewear to our patients. We are so excited to introduce l.a. Eyeworks to our community!
In 1979, two women opened a storefront on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles with the goal to change the way people looked at eyewear. Over forty years and hundreds of imaginative designs later, l.a. Eyeworks is an internationally recognized brand, known for quality and originality. The original owners Barbara McReynolds & Gai Gherardi still begin each design with a pencil sketch and are heavily involved in every aspect of the design from concept to materials, manufacturing to marketing.
In 1981, the brand launched an ad campaign with over 200 celebrities and “cultural provocateurs” modeling the frames in stunning black and white images with the tagline – “A face is a work of art. It deserves a great frame.”
We could not agree more! We look forward to seeing these great frames on many works of art around Bellingham!
“I’ve always thought that if you have to wear glasses you should go big and choose beautiful, fun, or funky ones. You can’t hide them so why not show them off,”
Meet Michelle!
She has been a fellow four-eyed friend since
the seventh grade. Her mom always made sure that she had cool glasses, so she’s
been keen on stylish specs since she was a kiddo.
“I’ve always thought that if you have to wear
glasses you should go big and choose beautiful, fun, or funky ones. You can’t
hide them so why not show them off,” she remarks.
This sentiment is reflected in Michelle’s
frames of choice at Binyon. Sporting the ever-present and spunky Anne at
Valentin or her favorite cat eye Lafont frames, Michelle can be spotted
receiving compliments all around town. With a prescription as strong as hers,
Michelle delights in the opportunity to wear contacts as well as the prospect
of corrective surgery. However, she revels in what her frames can offer her,
too. As an introvert, she has been given many opportunities to meet people she
otherwise would not have.
“I get compliments about my glasses all the
time from all different kinds of people. I’m introverted so don’t often go out
of my way to make connections with strangers. The compliments are a sweet way
to connect with a person I may not have chatted with otherwise. The compliments
also make me feel like I’ve made the right choice in the frames I’ve chosen.
Sometimes I second guess myself and then the first time someone tells me they
like my glasses I know the choice was a good one.”
Michelle is a loyal Binyonite, and we
couldn’t be happier to continue working with her. Describing her relationship
with her glasses in five words or less, Michelle states, “they make me look
good!”
Thank you for choosing us, Michelle, and you look fantastic!
When I contacted Shelly Clark about photographing her family for the latest “Glasses of Binyon” blog she responded- “Could we meet at Whatcom Falls Park? We kind of live right in the park.” I thought that might mean on the road leading into the park but as Kevin works for the Department of Fishery for Washington State- they literally live in the park. It was a joy to watch the family in their backyard and picture the kids growing up in one of Bellingham’s most beautiful parks. Kevin, Shelly, Chester and June have been patients of Dr. McEathron’s for many years and they each have unique and interesting stories about their journey with their glasses.
Let’s start with Chester.
Shelly tells me he’s worn glasses for as long as she can remember. His first eye exam was when he was four years old- with concerns of family history of nearsightedness. Shelly remembers this appointment vividly- that Dr. McEathron kindly recommended they try again the following year when Chester knew more letters. He received his first pair of glasses the next year and Shelly comments that he’s always taken very good care of his glasses- probably because he’s “blind as a bat” without them. His high astigmatism doesn’t make him a great candidate for contact lenses- but he wears glasses well and appreciates the help from the opticians to find him a great fitting pair that is stylish.
Shelly was also proactive with an early eye exam for daughter, June.
When she was 5 she sat in Mom’s lap for her first eye exam. The next few years she came in for regular checks- but Dr. McEathron found no need for glasses. As 3rd grade rolled around, some reading struggles were noted. We made some reading glasses, but Dr. McEathron also recommended a consultation for vision therapy. June now sees Dr. Bearden at Optometric Physicians Northwest to help with excessive convergence. She wears her reading glasses for close work but with the improvement she’s seeing in vision therapy, she might not need them for much longer.
Shelly recalls Kevin coming home with his first pair of glasses in 2012 and being amazed…
at what he had been missing out on because he couldn’t see! He spends a lot of time outdoors- so he tried Transitions darkening lenses but didn’t like the amount of time it took for them to change back to clear- so he invested in his first prescription sunglasses made by Maui Jim. He describes those as the ultimate treat- and necessary for his work around bodies of water to be able to see clearly through the glare.
I saved my favorite story for last!
Shelly was very nearsighted and had Lasik performed in 2010 and was glasses free for 4 years after wearing them since she was a little girl. She remembers the news that she would need glasses again as being disappointing – “It’s because I’m getting older right?” she asked Dr. McEathron. “Well, it’s because you keep having birthdays,” explained Dr. M. Shelly loves how he took her negative and turned it into a positive. She says she’s fine wearing them now and even likes them! When she lost her glasses she got the same frame in another color. This was smart because she found the lost glasses again and now has two very cute similar but different color frames!
It was a fun adventure to get to know this family better in their beautiful back yard and hear about their unique glasses experiences. A special thank you to Shelly, Kevin, Chester and June for sharing their glasses stories and to Katheryn Moran of Katheryn Moran Photography for taking this awesome family’s pictures!
Lloyd came to our office soon after he moved to Bellingham in 2011. When we took pictures in Whatcom Falls Park this summer with Katheryn Moran photography, he laughed “It feels like you guys have watched me grow up. The first time I came I was a kid with no idea what I wanted to do with my life!” Now a nursing assistant at the Hospice House planning on nursing school soon after a few more prerequisites, watching Lloyd grow up has been awesome. One thing is consistent in the last 7 years is that he pretty much lives on his mountain bike.
In 2015 when Lloyd sat down with Sarah she reviewed some notes on his past glasses including several warranty replacements. “I’m pretty hard on stuff” Lloyd admitted. Sarah directed him to our Ovvo Optics display, “I think we’re going to find the perfect frame for you here.” As we described in our last post here, Ovvo has developed a proprietary material and hinge design with unmatched strength and flexibility. We have not seen a more durable frame design. Lloyd picked out his first Ovvo frame and everything was going well. Until one day he watched the glasses fly off his girlfriend’s car and get run over. We replaced the frame and lens under warranty.
“When I would break my frames or mess up my lenses I knew I didn’t have to flip out because I had a kick butt warranty. It seems small but for someone who is rough on his toys it meant a lot to know it was one less thing to worry about.” Lloyd told me.
“Breaking stuff is kind of a theme in my life,” he explains. During our photo shoot, Lloyd’s favorite bike was broken so he rode a bike he rebuilt for his dad. Thankfully Lloyd is a skilled mechanic and resourceful! His basement is fully outfitted to tear down and rebuilt bikes from components he finds all over Washington.
As far as resourceful, he’s made a great choice sticking with the most durable frames on earth with Ovvo Optics and an optical family who will take care of him.
“There was a period of time after I moved to Bellingham that I saw you guys more than my family. They’re far away and also I kept finding new and exciting ways to break my glasses… The Binyon staff obviously loves what they do and I always feel that love when I come in.”
Thank you Lloyd! We appreciate you and it was great to do this blog post and photoshoot with you and Katheryn Moran Photography.
“Just wanted to let you know how great my Ovvo glasses are…”
… began an email from Emily. “Several months ago, my toddler snatched them off my face and bent them in HALF. Besides a small crease, the frames were unharmed and I’m wearing them daily. But we had a long talk about how fragile (most) glasses are.”
Emily was referencing her 2nd out of 3 pairs of Ovvo Optics glasses frames. She found her first pair in 2015, soon after her precious son Raylan was born. Little did she know as a new mom she was making a wise investment in the most durable glasses frames.
Ovvo Optics Glasses Design and Technology
What drew Emily to the Ovvo frames was how light and comfortable they are – plus fun shapes and colors. These are two of Ovvo’s design goals for their frame line – the third was durability. In seeking a material that was very lightweight and strong, the company could not find one that met their needs- so they forged their own metal, a combination of surgical stainless steel and titanium that had not been made before and is now manufactured with a patented process by Ovvo (more technical details here: https://ovvooptics.com/technology/).
This hypoallergenic material offers remarkable lightness, flex memory and strength. From an optician’s standpoint the strong material is tough to move during an adjustment but we have confidence when we get it into position- it will stay there- preventing the relaxing that can happen with plastic frames. I like to joke it’s the only pair of glasses I can fall asleep in and they aren’t at all crooked in the morning.
Emily’s hooked on Ovvo glasses
Back to Emily – she’s on her 3rd pair of Ovvo frames now as Raylan just passed his 3rd birthday. Coincidence? Probably not… toddler proof? Definitely, as her story above shows.
When we sat down to pick her second pair in December of 2017- she said, definitely Ovvo. We found one of the great pairs from the latest collection that incorporates a cut-out design, one of the latest eyewear trends. She loved them, and when I pulled out the catalog to see the other colors, she fell deeper in love with the Sapphire color. We ordered it in but started the lenses using the stock frame. When the lenses came back she could choose between the two colors. I love giving patients this option – they have two choices of frame color to pick from when they come to pick up their lenses and we can pop the completed lenses
into the favorites and they are on their way- looking amazing of course.
Don’t forget sunglasses!
Since I had the catalog out as we were looking at alternate colors- Emily started to look at their amazing sunglasses options. I noticed she has an awesome insurance plan through the local credit union she works for and her insurance would be available again in January – mere weeks away. She got a little giddy at the idea of having prescription Ovvo sunglasses. I’d remembered seeing an awesome design at an Ovvo trunk show we had done and showed her the catalog. “That’s the one!” she cried and we ordered it in in Shiny red! When she came to pick up her new glasses and choose the color, the sunglasses had arrived! We were able to make the frame measurements, wait until the calendar flipped to 2018 and order these beautiful sunglasses.
Emily, Raylan and I had a marvelous photoshoot with the talented Katheryn Moran of Katheryn Moran Photography to highlight these wonderful frames. It was fun to watch Mommy and son share such natural tender moments. We are glad to see that these frames have become a beautiful part of her look and an indispensable tool in her mommy bag. With all the things the Mama’s have to worry about- broken glasses can be crossed off the list with Ovvo eyewear.
When the kids and I walked into Galbraith Mountain Pediatric Dentistry office for the first time, I was understandably nervous. The three year old wore her tiara and lugged along her stuffed elephant (named Sugar- great choice for going to the dentist) and the one year old is always unpredictable, because he’s one. As new patients we were brought into a big room with an exam chair, and several bins of toys – mostly stuffed animals all outfitted with huge sets of teeth and giant toothbrushes. A woman with cute glasses and a kind face entered the room and introduced herself as Susan, the dental assistant who would help us out on our first visit.
I noticed her glasses right away
Susan made sure the kids knew they could play with the toys in the room and explained this first visit is all about making sure they feel comfortable.
We sat down to look over the paperwork I filled out. I answered a few questions then she said- “Oh! I see you work at Binyon, I’ve been seeing Mark for years!” (True story – I found her initial patient paperwork dated April 1992.)
“I wondered!” I answered, “I recognized your Lafont frames! And these are Mark’s grandkids!”
“Too funny!” she replied, “That must make you Caitlin, I’ve known you since you were a kid!” Before Susan worked at Galbraith, she worked for Dr. Richard Todd’s office where I’d been a patient growing up. My memory went back to a tall, energetic woman with short brown hair that would call us back to the exam rooms and we laughed at the connection in our small Bellingham world. Her hair is a beautiful silver now and her energy and smile are just as I remember.
Then it was her turn to come to the doctor!
A few months after our re-acquaintance at the dentist, Susan came in for her eye exam and was planning on updating the lenses into her current Lafont frames to her new prescription.
“You know I love fun glasses… Do you have anything new?” she asked. I couldn’t wait to show her the new Anne et Valentin collection – bold looks with many petite options that I knew fit her style perfectly. I grabbed a light pink frame and said, “This one.” She put it on… and couldn’t take it off. “Yes- this one.”
Later we came to photograph Susan in her element- helping kids at the dentist. She explained she doesn’t always wear these new frames to work – she had a collision with another employee a few months ago which sent her glasses flying and we ended up repairing a broken temple. She has several pairs of fun glasses and she tells me, “If you have to wear glasses, make it a part of your wardrobe! You need different frames and lenses for different needs and outfits.”
Susan and her fun glasses collection help to brighten kids’ day at Galbraith Mountain Pediatric Dentistry. Thank you Susan, for taking part in our Glasses of Binyon feature and thank you to Katheryn Moran of Katheryn Moran Photography for the wonderful portraits.
Survey says! Parents talk about back-to-school eyecare
VSP (Vision Service Plan) Vision Care released the results of a survey (see full article here) sent to 1,000 US parents on the topic of children’s eye exams this month with interesting results:
80% of parents say “back to school eye exams are important for my kids” … yet only 50% of parents actually do it
One third of parents think that annual eye exams are unnecessary
Half of parents don’t know that 1 out of 4 kids have some kind of vision problem
83% of parents take their kids to the dentist every year, but only 56% of parents take their kids to the optometrist every year
When as much as 80% of a child’s learning is visual- we would love to see these survey numbers grow to show a more proactive approach to children’s vision and eye health in Whatcom County.
I told our friend Lucy’s mom Carly about these survey results and she was kind enough to share her story about Lucy’s experience with getting her first pair of glasses at five years old:
Lucy’s First Glasses
“I knew something was up. She was always saying that she could see just fine, but it was in the little things, like inching closer to the tv and complaining about bright lights. The thing was, it didn’t stop my feisty five-year-old from turning cartwheels, hitting baseballs or even reading. And even when I brought up my concern at her yearly checkup, it wasn’t clear if Lucy’s vision was impaired or if it was just her age. And so I put it off.
But after getting a recommendation from Lucy’s kindergarten class, I finally made an appointment to see an optometrist. My suspicions were right and actually much worse than I would’ve guess. She’s near-sighted, far-sighted and her vision was warped from astigmatism. As I understood it, if she were an adult, this would make her legally blind. BUT since we caught this early enough, we are working towards improving and reversing this.
The fun part was picking out new frames. We headed over to see Caitlin at Binyon Vision. She and the staff were incredibly helpful and patient. Likewise, they helped us find and fit the perfect pair for Lucy. She loves her red frames!
I remember when she first put them on how she started pointing to her brothers moles on his face that she had never seen before. She was silent (a rarity) the whole way home while looking out the car window. It’s opened up a new world of clarity and detail.
Her steadily improving vision is the best part about getting started with glasses now. Over these past nine months, her prescriptions have incrementally corrected her eyesight. They have helped her eyes develop and become stronger on their own.
80% of learning is visual for kids, and 50% of parents choose to skip annual eye exams. I hope Lucy’s story encourages other parents to have their kids’ eyesight tested early and regularly.”
photographer: Carly Navarette (lifestyle photographer in the Pacific Northwest – learn more here)
BINYON VISION CENTER
411 E. Magnolia Street, Bellingham WA 98225
(360) 647-2020
Shelly was also proactive with an early eye exam for daughter, June.
being amazed…
I saved my favorite story for last!
