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1898 - 1945
THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND’S ICONIC HANDMADE ROLLED GOLD FRAMES
In 1898, Max Wiseman and Co. was founded by Victorian entrepreneur Max Wiseman. Three decades later in 1932, Wiseman acquired two factories producing rolled gold spectacles in Rathenow, Germany, transporting them and their team of artisans to Smeed Road in East London, the city's historical manufacturing quarter. He renamed the company Algha Works. Between 1934 and 1945, Algha Works supplied the RAF with Aviator sunglasses years before the formation of Ray Ban, and in 1939, the company was called upon to support the war effort by manufacturing gas masks and aviation goggles.Throughout the decades, our commitment to excellence and handcrafted quality has remained unwavering, establishing Savile Row Eyewear as a beacon of British craftsmanship and timeless style.
1940 - 1967
In 1940, a bomb exploded in front of the factory on Smeed Road during the Blitz, but Algha Works miraculously survived. Eight years later in 1948, Algha Works was awarded a major contract to supply the newly-formed National Health Service. The famous round eye and other original designs remain the eyewear industry's vintage reference to this day. By 1967, when the Beatles released their groundbreaking album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', the eyewear of choice for all the Beatles at that time was made by Algha.
1971 - 1985
In 1971, John Lennon composed 'Imagine' wearing his iconic eye specs with orange tinted lenses, a colour he found inspirational. A pair of his original frames sold for £1m at auction, and a replica is on display at the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. Savile Row Eyewear still makes Lennon's original round eye glasses. A decade later in 1981, the Indiana Jones film series debuted with 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', starring Harrison Ford wearing a pair of Savile Row 'Beaufort Panto' with chestnut rims. Sean Connery also donned a Savile Row Eyewear frame as Indiana Jones's father. In 1985, the NHS discontinued its free glasses programme, with only children and low income groups given vouchers for glasses, ending the factory's heyday.
1996 - 2014
In 1996, American Optical sold the company back into private hands, preserving Algha Works' unique history. Five years later in 2001, the Harry Potter film franchise brought Savile Row's distinctive rolled gold frames to the big screen, with characters 'Dumbledore', 'Harry Potter' and 'Moaning Myrtle' all wearing frames made at Algha Works. Over a hundred pairs were created over the years for Daniel Radcliffe's role as Harry Potter, with the size of his glasses growing with him. In 2014, Savile Row Eyewear's new Mazzucchelli acetate production floor opened. All orders are still handmade to order, and the name Savile Row remains the emblem of high-quality, bespoke eyewear.
2020
In 2020, Algha's ancient machines are taken to Italy for refurbishment by Cadore’s legendary craftsmen. In 2022, Savile Row relaunches its authentic range from Kudos, its new Italian facility, offering unprecedented quality and attention to detail in line with the world’s finest eyewear.
