Company Story
1853 - John Jacob Bausch, a German immigrant, opens an optical goods store in Rochester, New York, marking the beginning of Bausch + Lomb Corporation.
1861 - Henry Lomb, a financier, joins Bausch as a partner, and the company is renamed Bausch & Lomb Optical Company.
1876 - The company begins manufacturing microscopes, marking its entry into the scientific instrument market.
1906 - Bausch & Lomb introduces its first camera lenses, which quickly gain popularity among photographers.
1933 - The company develops the first sunglasses with UV protection, called 'Soleil'.
1950s - Bausch & Lomb expands its product line to include binoculars, telescopes, and other optical instruments.
1970s - The company begins to focus on the development of soft contact lenses and intraocular lenses.
1996 - Bausch & Lomb acquires the contact lens business of Wesley Jessen Corporation.
2007 - The company acquires the ophthalmic surgical business of Chiron Corporation.
2013 - Bausch + Lomb is acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.