An item of pure functionality, the ubiquitous umbrella has evolved through the millennia from being an exclusive item for the higher classes to a product for the masses. China, India, Greece, Rome, Egypt and Africa all record its ancient lineage and symbolism. A crest for royalty or religious heads, it spelt authority and privilege when held aloft.
it morphed to a fashion appendage that matched a lady’s apparel. European women carried it for shade, used it as an ingenious aid to flirting, or even as protection from indecent propositioning! Constructed from wood or whalebone, umbrellas had alpaca or oil canvas tops with carved ivory or ebony handles. The first collapsible umbrellas, as well as use of wax and lacquer to better waterproof umbrellas, were of Chinese invention.
A clear distinction between a parasol and the umbrella soon surfaced, where the former was used only for protection against the sun while the latter battled precipitation. Silk, gingham, lace and ruffles decorated the former, while the latter stayed simple and sturdy. Women continued to monopolize its use and men preferred to hold it over a woman’s head as she stepped into her carriage.
Writer/adventurer Jonas Hanway, in the eighteenth century, thumbed his nose at protocol and stormed male fashion bastions by sporting an umbrella through all his travels. English coffee houses kept a collection of umbrellas for customers to comfortably enter or leave their premises on a rainy day. Britain also encouraged the export of umbrellas to its colonies, thus adding to its popularity. The current umbrella prototype, in shape and metal rib structure, was the brainchild of Samuel Fox in 1852.
Gene Kelley and Mary Poppins gave it celluloid prominence through memorable film performances. But the craze for a suntan in the 1930s caused a slump in umbrella stocks. Modern-day fears of carcinoma and skin cancers, through overexposure to the sun, have renewed the use of the umbrella as well as a host of sunscreen products.
Nylon or polyester canopies have added to its longevity, while colorful paper parasols decorating a cocktail or fruit drink, and the increased use of beach, patio or golf umbrellas, have given it more visibility and creativity. The façade keeps changing, with different colors, prints, and kinds of material being experimented upon, for newer style statements. Current models that telescopically fold or are embedded with Swarovski crystals add to the umbrella’s allure and charm, making it a treasured keepsake from far-off travels.
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