A Short History of the Umbrella
James Hunt
No one wants to be caught outside in the rain without an umbrella. These
handy devices come in an array of shapes and sizes, many that will
conveniently tuck into a purse or glove compartment in case of a sudden
downpour. Just about everyone owns an umbrella, but not many of us give them a
second thought. What follows is a brief tribute to an item most of us take for
granted.
Historians are unsure of when exactly umbrellas came into play. Some say
Egypt while others say China. What is for sure is that they’ve been around a
very long time. They weren’t intended to protect us from the rain, however.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used them as shade from the sun. It was the
Roman women who began to oil the cloth of the umbrella to protect it from
moisture.
It wasn’t until the 1600’s that European women began to carry umbrellas,
mostly as shade from the sun. Sometime in the 1700’s it became popular to
carry wood and oilcloth models as protection from the rain. In 1750, an
Englishman named Jonah Hanway decided to carry an umbrella everywhere he went.
This was unheard of. Only women carried umbrellas. Because of this, he became
the subject of much ridicule, but at least he was dry. Ignoring the snickers
of those around him, Hanway carried his umbrella for 30 years. By the late
1700’s however, it became more acceptable for men to carry
“hanways.”
Because they were made of wood, umbrellas were not only expensive, but they
were difficult to operate. In 1852, Samuel Fox invented the steel ribbed
kind that we see today. Since then, they’ve evolved. We now have umbrellas
for the rain and sun. We use them on the beach, while playing golf, and on
our patios and decks. What would we do without our umbrellas?
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher
covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at
www.umbrellas-central.info
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