Manufactured by the Natural Eyesight Institute, the Natural Eye Normalizer was part of a daily practice program designed to prevent or eliminate functional eye problems. The metal device was finished in chrome with rubber gaskets fitting the eyes. It was used to administer a uniform rhythmical eye massage to improve circulation and to relax and restore natural flexibility of the eye muscles. “Treatments” were recommended several times a day. To aid users, a series of consecutive manuals (a 1935 copy shown at left) gave step-by-step instructions for eye exercises and presented principles of overall health and improved vision. The manufacturers believed if you changed the way you use your eyes, your eyes would change. Its goal was to ultimately eliminate the need for eyeglasses and other artificial substitutes.
Courtesy of The Archives & Museum of Optometry, St. Louis, MO, an entity of Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation.
