About the Author

Jim Vendeland
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Author Info

Jim Vendeland is a retired ophthalmologist living in Cleveland Ohio.

He and his wife Marcia have an extended family including three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. He is an avid collector of antique ophthalmoscopes (eye instruments) and l9th century kaleidoscopes.

Jim enjoys playing classical piano music and has an extensive collection of classical music and opera on compact discs and dvds.  He also enjoys playing racketball and has been training with a coach for several years.

 

News

Jim will be giving a presentation about antique kaleidoscopes in May 2026 to the Cleveland Decorative Arts Society.

He has also submitted his book to the North Street Book Prize Competition in the art book category.

And his book has been donated to 2 local Cleveland library branches, the Rowfant Club library, the Cleveland Medical Library; and some books were also donated to several museums in Japan which exclusively exhibit kaleidoscopes. 

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Events

Jim has given PowerPoint presentations entitled Brewster's Lost Millions (about the invention of the kaleidoscope) and The Unexpected Outcomes of a Collector to The Rowfant Club in Cleveland, Ohio,  The Cleveland Rotary Club, The Ocular Heritage Society, and The Magic Lantern Society of the US and Canada.

He has also authored several articles about antique kaleidosocopes for the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society and the Ocular Heritage Society.

In addition, he has given presentations at the South Euclid County Library branch and the Beachwood County Library branch, and has also given talks at the NOBS club at the Loganberry book store in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and at the Fireside book store in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

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