This is meant to be a Quick Guide to Makers Marks and Companies on Vintage Optical Frames. This is a work in progress, and I will be updating it as I have time and as I remember and find them. There were hundreds, if not thousands of companies in the U.S. alone. There are only a few of these old companies around still making frames. 

Many optical companies marked their frames, but not all. It is very common to find frames with no marking at all. Even Bausch & Lomb & Artcraft did not mark all their frames very well, we could tell some Makers just by their Trim or how they were made. But this could get confusing as well since just like today, everything was copied, even the big names copied each other (don't most cars look the same today).

The most common marking you will find is the Size, (48-20, 46-24 etc), this would be found on the frame front. The Temple length would be found on the arm, (5 3/4, 6 etc). On Metal frames you will also find a Gold Content Mark, (12KGF, 1/12 KGF, 1/20 KGF etc, but not all are marked). Second will be the Makers Mark, (A/O, B&L etc), this is usually on the Front and Temples. Next would be the Country of Origin, (USA, France etc). Sometimes you will even find a Style name, this become more common starting in the 50's, but was still not common. Color was almost never on a frame. As a opticians, the more marking the better. This helped in identifying a frame to make lenses, to find a replacement frame or part, match colors, and to be sure we are working on the right frame.

On Metal frame, most marking are found on the Bridge, they can be small and hard to see, (this is were you will find the size on most current metal frames). On plastic frames you normally find them on the frame Front near the Hinge, this was a easy place to put them. Sometimes they would be on the inside of the nose piece of the bridge, (this is were you will find the frame size on most current plastic frames). 

ADC (France)

Allen

A Paris (France)

A/O - American Optical

Art-Craft, Artcraft

Art Line - Rozin Optical (France and Germany)

B&L - Bausch & Lomb

Buttafarri - (Italy)

C.O.C. (USA)

Criss Optical

Depose (France)

Edmom (Italy)

Embassy

Foremost

Graceline

Halo

Harlequin

Hilo

Ilmo (France)

Kono

KI - Kono Inc.

Liberty

LO - Liberty Optical

Marine

May - May Optical

Pathway

P.I. (Safety)

Poco

Rocco

Rodenstock (Germany)

Romco

RP

Safilo

Selecta (France)

S/C- Shuron Continental

Shuron

SOC (France)

Spectra (France)

Spectro (France)

SRO - Style Rite Optical

Starline

Swan

Swank

T (inside circle) - TEAM Optical Mfg. Corp. (NY.NY)

TOE - Tart Optical Enterprises

True Colors - American Optical

Tura

UOC - Universal Optical Company

Universal

USS - U.S. Safety

Victory

W - Welling Optical

Willson (USA & Italy)

Zyloware - (USA & France)