The first Optical Industry Directory was published in 1954 by Dr. Clifton Tuttle, an eminent retired Eastman Kodak physicist. At its inception, the Directory was a small single volume with the large goal of establishing itself as the bible of the photonics industry. It succeeded notably, expanding over the years into the present multimedia publication.

Teddi C. Laurin joined the company in 1962 and, as publisher, worked closely with Dr. Tuttle to define the industry for the first time. In 1967, in response to industry demands, she founded and launched Optical Spectra, which soon gained repute as the industry's leading trade magazine. In 1982 the magazine's name was changed to Photonics Spectra to reflect the growing influence of new light-based technologies. Today, Photonics Spectra has more than 95,000 subscribers around the world.

Laurin Publishing currently maintains a staff of over 50 employees at its headquarters in Pittsfield, Mass., and at its editorial and sales branch offices.

Over the past five decades Laurin Publishing has fostered a tradition of innovation that has defined the industry. As our publications grew — following the technology into an ever widening range of applications — it became evident that the fields of optics, lasers, imaging, fiber optics, electro-optics and photonics component manufacturing had become so interrelated that a unifying name was needed. Thus was born the term "photonics."

Through the years, our mission has remained unchanged: To actively encourage progress and not simply reflect it, for all of us in the photonics industry can best achieve success by sharing our knowledge, our insights and our visions for the future.