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1000 BCE
The umbrella
The umbrella was probably invented by the Chinese over 4,000 years ago(around 1,000 B.C.), but was designed by Egyptians.They weren't intended to protect us from the rain, however. The ancient Greeks and Romans used them as shade from the sun. It was the Roman women who began to oil the cloth of the umbrella to protect it from moisture. -
The umbrella in 1700s
Umbrella in the 1700s it became popular to carry wood and oilcloth models as protection from the rain. In 1750, an Englishman named Jonah Hanway decided to carry an umbrella everywhere he went. This was unheard of. Only women carried umbrellas. Because of this, he became the subject of much ridicule, but at least he was dry. Umbrella for 30 years. By the late 1700s however, it became more acceptable for men to carry "hanways." -
The steel ribbed umbrella
They were made of wood, umbrellas were not only expensive, they were difficult to operate. In 1852, Samuel Fox invented the steel ribbed kind that we see today. Since then, they have evolved. We now have umbrellas for the rain and sun. We use them on the beach, while playing golf, and on our patios and decks. What would we do without our umbrellas?