History of umbrellas

The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago. We have seen evidence of umbrellas in the ancient art and artifacts of Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and China.

These ancient umbrellas or parasols, were first designed to provide shade, however the Chinese were the first to waterproof their umbrellas for use as rain protection. They used the basic sunshade paper parasol, then waxed and lacquered them to create possibly the first rain proof umbrella. The next step, Umbrellas were made of silk.

"umbrella" comes from the Latin root word "umbra", meaning shade or shadow. The 16th century saw the umbrella became popular to the western world, especially in the rainy weather of northern Europe. It was only considered at first an accessory suitable for women. The umbrella was used in England as a luxurious sun-shade early in the seventeenth century. In the mid eighteenth century it was considered acceptable for men to also use.

The early specimens of the English umbrella made of oiled silk, were, when wet, exceedingly difficult to open or close; the stick and furniture were heavy and inconvenient, and the article generally very expensive. The first all umbrella shop was called "James Smith and Sons". The shop opened in 1830, and is still located at 53 New Oxford St., in London, England.

At present, umbrellas in China are made of various materials: oilpaper, cotton, silk, plastic film and nylon. As in other countries, they are used either against the rain or as parasols to give shade from the sun. Some are built on straight frames while others are collapsible.

Today umbrellas are manufactured all over the world with China being one of the biggest producers. The promotions industry sell a massive amount of all kind of umbrellas, including golf umbrellas, collapsible umbrellas, telescopic umbrellas, mini umbrellas and even umbrellas on hats. The UK climate always ensures umbrellas are very popular

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