Name/Title
Installation shot of cabinet 2BDescription
Dr. Cordes was described by colleagues as wise, exceedingly kind, and with an “insatiable zest for knowledge.” He assembled his collection of ophthalmoscopes between 1921 - 1958. A number of ophthalmoscopes he used in his practice are on display (objects 62 and 77), in addition to a rare original Helmholtz Ophthalmoscope (object 1).
In 1959 his collection was described as “one of the most complete in the United States.” Dr. Cordes was passionate about his collection and even made a replica Helmholtz ophthalmoscope "exact in every detail" before he acquired the original.
Upon his retirement in 1959, the Alumni of the Department of Ophthalmology at UCSF honored Dr. Cordes by renaming the alumni society the Frederick C. Cordes Eye Society.
