Draft:Melson Wingate

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Melson Wingate was a British optical manufacturing and retail company officially registered by Sir William Wingate and his Son Frank Melson Wingate in 1907. The origins date back to George Melson Wingate (Sir William's father) a jeweller/watchmaker from Plymouth, one of the first to take British Optical Examinations as an Ophthalmic Optician in 1897.^[1]

Origin of UV protective Sunglasses

According to historian William H. Brock, Melson Wingate Ltd's work on ultraviolet eye protection arose from a 1907 Royal Society investigation into cataracts among furnace and glass workers.^[2] Developed in partnership with Sir William Crookes, by 1918 - the Wigmore Street opticians offered 'Crookes Lenses' combining scientific research with practical industrial safety as a manufactured product.^[3]

Brock argues that this work laid the foundation for the modern sunglasses industry, while the lenses themselves were applied to industrial, military and aviation applications for much of the twentieth century, until modern sunglass branding gradually superseded them.

The company expanded to operate numerous optician branches across the United Kingdom^[4], with Douglas Melson Wingate^[5], Frank's son taking over the business, which supplied optics to the British military and Royal Airforce during World War Two and carried the Crooke's Lenses name late into the twentieth century. The business was later run by Nigel Homer Wingate and Roger Melson Wingate^[6][7] - Douglas two sons - along with other family members.

Following industry consolidation in the optical sector, the business was ultimately acquired by Scrivens hearing aid company in the early 2000s and ceased trading under the Melson Wingate name.^{[8][9][10][11]}

The company's history has been documented in local historical records and publications relating to the British optical industry. Wingate1907 (talk) 01:14, 30 May 2026 (UTC)