August 2026 – Sight Test Board
August’s Object of the Month is a fascinating sight test board that was developed in 1877 by George Armstrong. The colour board is a wonderful new addition to our collection and is accompanied by a letter from Armstrong himself, detailing how the board should be used.
Armstrong’s instructions include four steps:
- Test each eye of candidate as to recognition of colours
- The black dots are clearly visible to a man with perfectly acute vision… Expose the board in full daylight at a distance of 15 feet from the candidate and examine as to numbers
- Examine each eye separately taking care that the unused eye be merely covered and not pressed upon or closed
- Vary the number and positions of the dots by covering some of them and by moving the board.
The colour board was used to test the sight and colour perception of staff such as engine drivers or signalmen, where perfect vision was critical for safety reasons.
At the time that he developed this colour board, George Armstrong was employed as the Locomotive Superintendent at the GWR’s Stafford Road Works in Wolverhampton. His focus was on developing the company’s standard gauge locomotives, but evidently, he had an interest in making improvements in other areas of the railway.
The sight test board at some point made its way into the possession of George’s great nephew, Ralph. Ralph Armstrong, like many others in his family, worked for the GWR and seemingly collected railway relics. The board was subsequently passed onto the family of the donor who kindly gifted it to the STEAM collection.
Why don’t you have a go at testing your eyes with Armstrong’s sight test board.
