August
29
Optical Illusionists
My story about artificial eyes and the men and women who craft then appears in the current issue of Swerve Magazine. I can’t remember a magazine story I enjoyed researching as much as this one. I never would’ve guessed that the making of artificial eyes, or ‘ocularistry’, had such a fascinating history or that it remains on of the last professions passed down through families. This story is another example of my obsession with, as a friend put it, ‘things done the old way’ and stands alongside stories I’ve written about fur trappers, bakers, clock-makers, and film projectionists. I am pretty happy how this one turned out.
Thanks to the Erickson family in Vancouver for letting my hang out in their office for a little while. The were very generous with their time. Thanks, too, to Shirley Weyland and photographer Bryce Meyer who took the photos.
The story can be found here.
Elsewhere 