Three years ago, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Foundation set off on an audacious goal to raise $12 million to build the first publicly accessible museum on the eye, vision and ophthalmic heritage in San Francisco. We are thrilled to announce that we have reached the finish line with the help of many generous donors.

We ring in the new year with one subject that I find fascinating. That is the history of quack medicine, which is aggressively promoted, fraudulent medical treatment. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was an avalanche of cure-alls along with advertisements to sell them. The Museum of the Eye has a collection of these items related to curing eye disease.

Our eyes are just the beginning of our complex visual system. The brain plays an important role in what we see, but it can sometimes be tricked into seeing things that aren’t there. Check out this experiment that helps illustrate our brain's involvement in our vision.

In April 2020 the museum lost a dear friend to the coronavirus. Jay M. Galst, MD, had a deep interest in ophthalmic history. He was involved with the Academy’s Truhlsen–Marmor Museum of the Eye since 1985, Dr. Galst was an avid collector of numismatics. It’s a diverse field covering currency, tokens, commemorative medals and medallic art.