Moscot

Since 1915

5 Generations & 104 Years of Eyewear Excellence

Where It All Began

The MOSCOT optical roots were first planted in America by Great Great Grandfather and family patriarch, Hyman Moscot, who arrived from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on Manhattan's famed Lower East Side.

The MOSCOT optical roots were first planted in America by Great Great Grandfather, Hyman Moscot, who arrived from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street.

By 1915 having amassed a following of loyal customers, Hyman opened the family’s first retail shop, at 94 Rivington Street.

In 1925 Hyman’s son Sol, at the tender age of only 15, joined the family business and helped take over the reins.

By 1936, MOSCOT was settled at 118 Orchard Street, on the corner of Delancey Street, which would be its home for the next eight decades.

The original peg and groove chairs, purchased by Sol in 1938, were used by fans and customers to pop a squat…let’s just say, these chairs are just as comfortable now, as they were back in the day.

The MOSCOT Finishing Lab, 1938.  The company’s 100-year (and counting!) expertise in eyewear began right in our very own shops, with the latest equipment of the time.

Sol and Grandma Sylvia with their three children, Danny, Beverly, and Joel, dressed in their finest to celebrate Joel’s thirteenth birthday in 1948.

In 1951, Sol’s son, Joel, began presiding over the House of MOSCOT. Charming, educated and devoted to his customers, Joel quickly made his mark – overseeing the shop and conveying the family’s values to his sons.

By the 1970s, MOSCOT expanded their 118 Orchard Shop to include the ground-level space below the retail shop. MOSCOT would continue to occupy the corner space, later hosting MOSCOT Music events, until their next big move in 2012.

In 1986 Joel’s son, Dr. Harvey Moscot, entered the family business as the head of eyecare, where he was a practicing Doctor of Optometry for over thirty years. He is the current CEO, leading MOSCOT into a global future.

Joel’s youngest son, Kenny Moscot, followed suit, joining the business in 1992.

In 2013 Harvey’s son, Zack Moscot, a formally trained industrial designer, came on board, making him the fifth generation Moscot to join the family business. He is the current Chief Design Officer for the brand and heads all creative and design for the company.

In July 2013, after 77 years, the MOSCOT Orchard Street Shop “crossed Delancey Street,” from 118 Orchard to 108 Orchard when its iconic building was sold – an extraordinarily propitious outcome for an institution determined to keep a foothold in its beloved Lower East Side for the next generation of Moscot. Hyman would be proud.

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