History of Company

Harcourt Carter Optical, Barbados' first Optical Practice, was founded in 1905 by Mr. Harcourt Carter, a local Optometrist of Scottish descent and Grandfather of Mr. H. K. (Keith) Melville, the individual responsible for expanding the once small optical practice into the large business entity it is today.

The Company's first office was located upstairs of the family business--Carter & Company--at #1 High Street in the City, but it was soon relocated to #4 High St. in 1910; where it remained for the next 70 years. It was not until 1980 that Harcourt Carter Optical moved to Marhill Street.

In addition to the Optometry Practice, the business could also boast of having the island's first Glass Lab, which produced its own Lenses and Spectacles from 1905 onwards; the technical quality of which was praised in the well know British Optical Journal-The Optician. Some of the original optical equipment can still be seen at the Sunbury Museum.

In 1952, when Mr. Carter passed away, the business was taken over by his daughter, Mrs. Marjorie Harcourt Melville, who was joined a year later by her son, Keith Melville, a newly minted Doctor of Optometry from the Philadelphia Optical College in the USA.

Mr. Melville had actually worked in his Grandfather's optical business for many years in his youth, and given the opportunity; he soon took over the reins of Harcourt Carter Optical and significantly expanded the existing business via various local and regional acquisitions, partnerships, and new business ventures.

Wesley Bailey & Company, a local optical firm founded in the 1920s and originally owned by Mr. Wesley Bailey was one of the first companies purchased by Harcourt Carter in 1962. This acquisition was followed by that of two other local firms--Superior Optical and Prescott O'Neil Optical--started in the 1950s and 1940s respectively.

In 1965, Imperial Optical of Canada, owned by Mr. Sidney Hermant, approached Mr. Melville about a partnership between his business and Harcourt Carter Optical. This partnership came into effect in 1966 with Harcourt Carter owning 51% of the shares. However, by 1991 Harcourt Carter Optical acquired full ownership of Imperial Optical and the two other local optical practices-- Superior Optical, and Optical Barbados. Imperial Optical, St. Vincent also came under the full control of Harcourt Carter at this time.

Harcourt Carter and Imperial Optical had started to expand into the Eastern Caribbean in the late 1960s; opening Imperial Optical in St. Vincent in 1969. Harcourt Carter continued this regional expansion after acquiring full ownership of Imperial Optical, and in fact opened two optical businesses in St. Lucia from as early as 1970; one being People's Optical, which is still in existence today.

A partnership with an Antiguan company led to further regional business for Harcourt Carter in the 1970s when Antigua Optical was formed. Harcourt Carter also expanded its regional market for lenses and other optical products via exporting to St. Kitts and Dominica. Today, Harcourt Carter Optical still has significant trade and business links with several regional markets.

Mr. Melville attributes much of his company's success to the dedication and hard work of the company's employees, and in particular to some of its past Managers and Supervisors such as Mr. Seymour Watkins, Chief Technician from 1931-1963, Mr. Ernest Lashley, Optometrist from 1958-1996, Mr. Irvin Burke, Dispensing Optician from 1962-1990, Mr. Harold Ward, Dispensing Optician & General Manager from 1970-1990, and Mr. Nat Clairmonte, Optometrist from 1973-2001.

In 2000, Mr. Melville made the decision to expand the company's Directorship & Shareholding to include five of the company's young Optometrists and Opticians-Mr. Chris King, Mrs. Michele King, Mr. Edward Haslett, Mrs. Melissa Austin, and Mr. Jason Small, who are the new partners in the current Harcourt Carter Optical Practice.