Hidden History: Umbrellas

Here in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the umbrella is a tool as commonplace as the smartphone. You can buy them anywhere, but have you ever given your umbrella a second thought? Have you ever wondered where they came from? Who invented them? When were they invented?

Before the umbrella came the parasol, a tool used to shield people from the sun. In Italian, the word parare means “to parry, to ward off, to shield” while the Spanish word for “sun” is sol. The origins of the parasol date back to ancient Assyria, China, Egypt, and Greece. In these ancient civilizations, servants held parasols to shield nobility and other members of upper-class society from the sun.

As for who invented the umbrella, waterproofed parasols trace back to ancient China, where the parasol canopies were coated in lacquer or wax.

GIROLAMO DAI LIBRI, MADONNA DELL'OMBRELLO BY SAILKO, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Umbrellas have been made of various materials throughout history. In its early iterations, umbrella canopies were made of paper or cloth which were then treated with lacquer or wax to make them waterproof. The ribs of early umbrellas, on the other hand, were made of baleen, a material harvested from several species of whale. Baleen is like hard hair or thin, comb-like teeth in a whale’s mouth that can grow up to 12 feet long! A baleen whale opens its mouth to intake water, and then pushes the water out, catching any krill or other small marine organisms in the baleen. Unfortunately, the whaling industry forced many whale species near extinction. Even when whale oil was replaced with other fuel sources, the demand for baleen kept the whaling industry in business. Beginning around 1830 whale oil was losing favour, but the demand for baleen doubled between 1840 and 1844, due in part to umbrellas, but also due to changes in women’s fashions (stiffening for skirts, corsets and other clothing.)

The collapsible, spring-loaded, waterproof umbrella as we know it today didn’t gain traction in Europe until the 17th and 18th centuries. During this time, the umbrella was thought of as an accessory for women and the poor. Poor folk could not afford the luxury of carriage rides through cities on rainy days, so umbrellas were their weapon of choice against the weather. The perspective shifted, and by the Victorian Era the umbrella became an accessory for men, women, the rich, and the poor alike.

Many of us in Metro Vancouver have likely lost count as to how many umbrellas we have lost over the years. Some umbrellas are too big, others too small, and only the expensive, high-tech varieties can withstand strong winds. Despite the umbrella’s many quirks, it keeps us dry. If you would like to learn more about the umbrella’s history, come and visit us at Mackin House for a tour of our exhibit Deconstructed: The Hidden History of Everyday Objects. The exhibit will be on display until June 2021.