What person invented the umbrella?

gtho4

The inventor is not known. The first patent was registered in 1786 by John Beale. THE HISTORY OF UMBRELLAS Derived from the Latin word Umbra, which means shade. The first umbrellas were for protection from the sun and were possibly inspired from the canopy of a tree, which would offer a cool shade from the heat of the day. The origins of the umbrella are most probably China in 11th century B.C. although ancient sculptures have been found in Nineveh, Persepolis and Thebes (Egypt) depicting the use of umbrellas. There is also evidence of Umbrellas or Parasols being used at the same period in India. The first umbrellas were most probably a converted branch of a tree (for example giant Banana Leaves) or a hat on a stick, which gave rise to the umbrella, as we know it today. The word Parasol was derived from the Latin words papare, which means to prepare, and sol, which means sun. Generally a parasol is now regarded as a sunshade and umbrella as a rain protector, but this distinction only evolved during the late 18th century. Before then umbrellas and parasols both offered protection against the sun, but that parasols were carried over the person it shaded rather than an umbrella, which was carried by the person it shaded. However, there is some evidence of Romans using umbrellas to protect a person from the rain, but the idea never caught on, as it was the Greeks who popularised the idea of umbrellas being used as a sunshade. The first umbrellas (or more correctly parasols) were associated with rank and there is early evidence of this is Egypt around 1200 B.C. ... Umbrellas did not appear in England until the Restoration Period. This was most probably because the Puritan regime saw umbrellas as a frivolous object, which prevented the heaven-sent rain from wetting a person. Catherine of Braganza was said to have introduced umbrellas to England when she married Charles II. She brought with her a parasol of Portuguese design and although there is no evidence to suggest umbrellas where used by other lady courtiers due to the King's disapproval of Portuguese fashion, ladies were beginning to be seen in London after 1676 with dainty parasols to shade them from the sun ... It was time during the period 1685 - 1705 that the idea of a waterproof umbrella was established. Known at first as an umbrellow, from the French word ombrelle, which in itself was derived from ombrellino, the inclemency of the English weather ensured the umbrella's success. This new use was popularised by the coffee houses where umbrellas were kept to shelter customers from the rain when walking to their carriages ... John Beale registered the first a patent in 1786 with the idea of a circular coned canopy supported by ribs attached to a central shaft. With the popularisation of umbrellas in the 19th Century, inventions and patents on umbrellas started to increase in number to over 40 per year from 1860 to the turn of the century. http://www.oakthriftumbrellas.com/pages/umbrellas4.htm Jan 06 13, 7:00 AM

sandi23go

all the info seem to be what the previous person says is true. thank you. Jan 06 13, 12:26 PM