102°F
weather icon Cloudy

An eye on history

Tucked inside a family-owned optometry office lies one of Henderson’s best-kept secrets.

Nearly 175 eyeglasses and sunglasses make up the Famous People’s Eyeglasses Museum at Dr. Gomesindo Hendricks’ office, 61 E. Lake Mead Parkway.

The collection includes items from entertainer Bing Crosby, journalist Walter Cronkite, entrepreneur Col. Harland Sanders and President Ronald Reagan.

“One of the more interesting stories was that of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat around 1981,” Hendricks said. “We got the glasses within a week of his assassination, so they were probably already in the mail when he was assassinated.”

The collection was started by Dr. Melvin Bagley, Henderson’s first optometrist and Hendricks’ father-in-law.

“He’s never paid for or bought any of the glasses. They were always donated,” Hendricks said. “They just showed up in boxes in the mail with a letter attesting that they were authentic.”

Born in Salt Lake City, Bagley attended optometry school in California before starting his practice in Henderson in 1955.

“I didn’t want to take the time to go to medical school, so I thought optometry would be a good profession,” Bagley said. “When we came to the valley, there were about 11 optometrists in Las Vegas, but there wasn’t anyone in Henderson yet.”

Bagley decided to open shop near the former Basic Magnesium plant to provide care for its employees.

“I used to fit a lot of colored contact lenses, so I had a lot of the showgirls in the office,” Bagley said. “Other than that, we’ve only had some Henderson dignitaries. No one really famous.”

Bagley said he came up with the idea to start the museum in the ’60s.

“A book came out every month that profiled 10 famous people and gave their addresses to write letters,” Bagley said. “We would write letters to the celebrities and politicians asking for their old eyewear to start a museum.”

To help around the office, Bagley’s four daughters were in charge of finding the addresses and writing the letters, according to Hendricks.

“(Bagley) did his own statistics and figured that for every 100 letters they sent, 10 people would respond,” Hendricks said. “For every 10 (who) would respond, one or two would send a pair of glasses. You can imagine the number of letters they wrote.”

Copies of the letters are available for reading in the office’s lobby. Bagley also compiled the letters into a new book, “Celebrity Sighting.”

“I received several hundred letters from the people who sent their glasses,” Bagley wrote, “and I also received letters explaining that the person did not wear glasses or why they could not send their glasses, which I found very interesting.”

As time passed, patients became less familiar with the celebrities featured in the museum, so Bagley and Hendricks updated the collection in the mid-’80s.

“It’s still fairly recent, but you can’t get people’s addresses anymore, so we haven’t sent any letters in a number of years,” Hendricks said. “It would be neat to continue it.”

Bagley retired in 1989 and sold the office to Hendricks, who has been practicing for more than 30 years.

“The waiting room has a sort of an antique, retro feel to it, so it fits with the theme of the museum,” Hendricks said. “Sometimes patients will ask for certain frames they see in the case, but unfortunately they aren’t made anymore.

“We get visitors who stop by just to see the museum. It’s just something unique for everyone to see and talk about.”

The office is open to patients and visitors from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

For more information, visit gehendricks.com or call 702-565-7579.

Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Summer is a time to be safe

It’s a safe bet that the one thing we all have in common every summer is managing the extreme heat and our body’s reaction to the excessive temperature prevalent in our geographic location.

Free fishing fun

Logan Davis, along with his kids Winter and Maverick, tried their best to catch a fish Saturday, along with all the many others who enjoyed the city’s free fishing day at the pond at Veterans Memorial Park.

Ordinance promotes cleanliness, accessibility of public places

Individuals camping in public spaces has increased dramatically in the past few years across the nation. On May 27 the city of Boulder City joined the cities of Reno, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Sparks, along with Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties in passing a measure to expand the prohibition on camping in public places within city limits. The new ordinance goes into effect on June 19, 2025.

And all that jazz (in the park)

A relatively small but appreciative crowd turned out Saturday evening for Jazz in the Park, sponsored by the Boulder City Parks and Recreation Department and the Las Vegas Jazz Society. The evening featured the Marlane Coker Quintet and guest at Bicentennial Park.

Flushing faux pas may lead to clogs, costly repairs

When it comes to plumbing clogs, we can definitely apply the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”…or in this case, a quart of Liquid Plumr.

Art exhibition to showcase work of Connie Ferraro

Connie Ferraro has worn many hats in her life. They have included Broadway dancer, actress, wife of longtime Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro and these days, artist.

Year ending on high note at Mitchell Elementary

From the first day to the last, it takes a great deal of energy to get through a school year. The students, staff, and families are ceaseless in their efforts to ensure that we have a great year from beginning to end. We are successful because we are supported by our community.

Mental health in an aging population

The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviors.

Sunflower Breakfast celebrates King’s parent volunteers

Boulder City’s commitment to community was on full display at this year’s annual Sunflower Breakfast, a heartwarming event dedicated to honoring the incredible volunteers who help our school thrive.

Reframing language in mental health

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.