Inside the Oliver Goldsmith eyewear workshop From its founding
in 1926 through the early 1970s, all Oliver Goldsmith frames
were made by hand in the company’s Poland Street workshop. The
company started with the design, in the form of a hand-drawn
sketch. The frame makers would then cut a slab of plastic into
the desired shape for the frame and its sides; file down the
edges; attach the sides; sand down the finished design; and fit
the lenses. Depending on the complexity of the design, the
process of making a frame by hand would take from six hours up
to several days. Many of the workshop staff stayed with the
company for decades. Retired glazer Harry Swain worked for
Oliver Goldsmith from 1946 until 1983. He recalls, ‘I left
school at the age of 14 years in 1932 so I had to decide which
trade to go into. I decided to go into the optical industry.
When I was demobbed in 1946 I went to work for Oliver Goldsmith,
where I remained until I retired in 1983. 2. Inside the Oliver
Goldsmith workshop in 1966 Using a s