THE CONVOS BLOG

Every morning, I walk past an eyeglass store that looks like it's been there for ages.  It's called Moscot and they make amazing eyeglasses, many of which are based on their original designs from the 1940s. After a little digging on their website, I found a little history about how they started. In an age where Internet startups pop up every day, I find the stories of pre-Internet age startups to be much more fascinating.

The Moscot optical roots were first planted by Sol Moscot’s father Hyman. After his arrival from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899, he began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After establishing himself in the neighborhood as one of the local opticians he rented a retail space at 94 Rivington Street in 1915.

Hyman’s son, Sol began helping his father in the store as a young boy. This would mark the beginning of Sol’s passion for people and opticianry. Sol’s expertise developed quickly and he soon took over the family business and Sol Moscot Opticians, as it is known today, was thus established. From its original location on Rivington Street, the business changed locations until 1951 when it settled at 118 Orchard Street at the corner of Delancey Street, a location that remains the company’s flagship store today.