How to celebrate Umbrella Day?
Umbrella – an underrated item – so common that we stop noticing it. In a hurry, we look for it in the nooks of the hall, when it starts to drizzle outside the window, and then, with the first rays of the sun, we forget about it just as quickly. Is it right? Fans of this beautiful and useful item tirelessly spread knowledge about umbrellas. Read on to see how you can honor this item, which has certainly saved you from unpleasant getting wet more than once.
The Word
Do you know the origin of the word “umbrella”? Polish word Parasol comes from Italian (para + sol = against the sun) and reminds us of the original function of this object. In turn, the English “umbrella” comes from Latin – “umbra” means “shadow” or “shaded”.
Umbrella – history of creation and use
There is probably no person in the world who would not use an umbrella at least once in my life. Contrary to appearances, the first umbrella was made in a country where it rains very rarely, and we are talking about Egypt about four thousand years ago. In China, around 400 C.E. umbrellas were made of greased paper. At the beginning of the 18th century, the production of Chinese umbrellas began in France and England.
It came to Europe thanks to the Greeks, and initially, it served as protection not from rain, but from the sun. Not without reason, in most countries, its name means shade or protection from the sun.
Initially, the umbrella was a commodity that the average eater could not afford and was used mainly by wealthy and high-ranking earthly rulers. In ancient times, an umbrella was a symbol of luxury, as evidenced by numerous wall paintings that have survived. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the umbrella became a popular item that was initially used by women. Over the years, it has also changed its use, and from an object protecting against the sun, it has turned into an object known to all for protection against rain.
A royal privilege
This accessory, very common today, was once an extraordinary rarity, a luxury available only to the well-born. It symbolized power on a par with a scepter or a crown. We can find him already in the paintings in the tombs of the pharaohs, as well as in Assyria and Greece. In the ruins of the Mesopotamian city of Nineveh, drawings have been discovered in which servants carry an open umbrella over the ruler, decorated with rich ornaments and hanging pompoms. Similar scenes can be seen in the reliefs in Persepolis, in what is now Iran – there an umbrella is held by two dark skinned female slaves above the king’s head.
In ancient Rome, this item was a sign of luxury. At the annual Panathenaea art festival in Athens, young girls carried it over the head of an effigy of Bacchus, the god of wine and entertainment. Umbrellas were also used by patricians who enjoyed their time watching the games. They protected not only from the heat – you could also cover your eyes with them when the gladiatorial fights became too bloody.
Roman umbrellas were made of leather. They were not as elegant as the Chinese ones made at the same time – made of silk and greased paper with a bamboo handle. Painted with flowers, birds and landscapes are still considered the most valuable. They usually weighed less than three hundred grams and were half a meter long. They were the first waterproof umbrellas in the world.
Only for Italians
They came to Europe late, only in the 16th century. First to Italy, then to the court of Louis XIV. The Sun King reportedly used them to protect his elaborately pinned up wigs from the sun. Even then, there was a division into men’s umbrellas, large and spacious, and lighter ones – for women. The latter were true works of art.
They were made of expensive thin materials such as Chinese silk and decorated with tassels, bows, lace and precious stones. Painted or embroidered. They had ivory, silver, and gold handles, often with initials engraved on them. There were also loving confessions of lovers (for example the words appropriate to the situation: “The sun is unworthy to look into your eyes”) or mounted miniature boxes with powder and a mirror.
In the 18th century, the umbrella ceased to be an attribute of the rich and found its way to the thatched roof. And since the common people are not afraid of the sun, but avoid rain that destroys clothing, the umbrella has changed its use. Not everyone liked it right away. In England, umbrellas have long been considered exclusively feminine items. It is true that they appeared in clubs for gentlemen, but gentlemen used them sporadically, and if they did, they hid their face under the mask so as not to be recognized and ridiculed. They preferred to get wet than to be compared to the effeminate macaroni, that is, the Italians who liked umbrellas, whom they despised.
English coachmen also did not like umbrellas, considering them a dangerous competition – so far, in bad weather, people called in cabs, now they could walk calmly in the rain without risking getting wet.
Only Jonas Hanway, a famous traveler, overcame the reluctance of the islanders. He was the first British gentleman to dare to follow in the footsteps of women, and in 1750, as if nothing had happened, he walked the streets of London under an umbrella. Scandalized passersby pushed him and ran him over, and the coachmen booed. They contemptuously called him the “Frenchman” who fears the rain. It took Hanway thirty years to launch the umbrellas.
How conservative the English can be, can be seen from the fact that the first shop selling umbrellas was opened in London in 1830 (James Smith & Sons still exists at 53 Oxford Street). But at the time of Hanway’s death in 1786, no gentleman was moving without an umbrella. Prince Arthur Wellington, the winner of Waterloo, even had a hidden dagger in the handle of his umbrella. Charles Dickens, on the other hand, in his novel “The Pickwick Papers” mentions voters of the town of Eatonswill, who were bribed with gifts in the form of forty-five green umbrellas for wives.
Underwires and British Gentleman
The first English umbrellas for men were heavy and expensive, with handles of precious woods, buffalo horn, tortoiseshell, or ivory, and sometimes covered with gold or silver. Various items were mounted in them: from watches to compasses, cases for glasses, fountain pens to whiskey glasses. But when wet it was hard to open. An interesting fact is that while standing with a closed umbrella, you leaned on its top, and not on the handle, as it is today.
In general, the models of that time were not comfortable. But in 1715, Parisian craftsman Jean Marius invented the first three-fold pocket umbrella. He also created the first advertising campaign promoting a fashionable accessory, borrowing from several notables. The invention found many supporters and encouraged other scientists to experiment. Including the English, who until recently treated him with such contempt.
In 1852, British Samuel Fox, a specialist in steel structures, made a metal frame – as we know it today, much facilitating the use of an umbrella. Supposedly, he used underwires for women’s corsets that were left in the warehouses. He soon founded his own company, the English Steel Company. However, he did not manage to patent the invention. He was told by William C. Carter, an African American, who acquired the copyright three years later.
But the real breakthrough came in 1920 when a German named Hans Haupt built the first automatic opening umbrella. It was called Knirps after a company that Haupt had founded in Berlin (in German it literally means “brat”). When folded, it was fifteen centimeters long. The Knirpsy boom came in the 1960s when nylon was invented. From then on, you could buy umbrellas even in the most unusual colors and patterns. They were lighter, slimmer and more durable. Knirps were given on birthdays, First Holy Communion, Christmas and Mother’s Day.
Movies were made about umbrellas (in the famous French musical from 1964, “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, played by the young Catherine Deneuve), songs were sung (“Umbrellas” by Maria Koterbska). It was only in the 1970s that they lost their rank. But designers do not forget about them. Famous playboy and fashion house owner Flavio Briatore, who wears celebrities such as David Beckham, launched a crocodile leather umbrella two years ago. It’s the most expensive accessory in the world – it’s worth, a trifle, fifty thousand dollars. Umbrellas can still make you jealous. Italian designer Vico Magistretti once said: “I would like to invent an umbrella because of its simplicity, its nothingness, its tension”.
Rainbow umbrellas
The transformation concerned not only the use of the umbrella but also its appearance. In old photos, it is easy to see that individual umbrella had decorations or underwires. They also differed in the materials from which they were made. While they cannot be accused of endurance, they certainly were not as functional as of today’s umbrellas, which we can easily take with us for a walk. Currently, umbrellas are available in many designs and colors, and which umbrella we choose depends only on our preferences.
Modern umbrellas
Umbrellas produced at the beginning of the 21st century are to be a response to customer needs. Therefore, they are produced in many designs, sizes, styles and are found in many price ranges.
To sum up – the umbrella has become a permanent element of fashion and it is difficult to imagine a home without even one of its art. When it comes to the choice, it is practically unlimited, which will satisfy even the most demanding.
