Shaded by Whalebones

The tenth of February

provides us with the opportunity

to celebrate yet another crazy day. 

Today is Umbrella Day.

Once again, I had difficulty

finding much information

on this most amazing of days.

 

I did learn some things though, a

nd I am always happy to share

bits and pieces of random trivia...

Four thousand years ago –

that’s how long it has been

since the umbrella was invented.

Evidence of very early umbrellas

can be seen in the artworks

of the Egyptians, Assyrians,

Greek and Chinese.

They were parasols –

more than umbrellas

and their primary use was

keeping the sun off the delicate

skins of women. 

The Chinese were the first

to waterproof their umbrellas. 

They waxed them

and lacquered them –

so they could use them

in rainy weather.

That’s so clever.

Umbra is a Latin word,

meaning shade or shadow.

By the 1500’s,

the western world had learned

about the umbrella

and it was becoming a very popular

in rainy weather, especially

in those rainy areas of northern Europe. 

It was once a girly accessory –

until Persian traveller and writer

Jonas Hanway (1712-1786)

started to carry an umbrella

around England – in public! 

Where people could see him! 

Soon enough,

the gents in England

decided that umbrellas were cool

enough for anyone to carry around.

The first umbrella shop opened

in London in 1830...

Something which I find more incredible

than the very fact

that there is an Umbrella Day...

that shop is still open!

Umbrellas were being made

using whale bone or wood,

covered with alpaca or oiled canvas. 

Imagine that!

By 1852, today’s steel ribbed

design appeared. 

Samuel Fox invented that.

He was using the leftover

stock of steel stays

used in women’s corsets.

The next big turn

in the umbrella history,

was the day the collapsible

umbrella appeared... 

That only took 100 years!

Forget the huge golf umbrella,

or the colourful beach umbrellas...

I want a whale bone umbrella!

Huh... The umbrella is cool enough

to have a day of its own!

 

Coloured umbrella picture from here.

Cool old umbrella pictures from here.