Today, umbrellas are consumer items and sometimes even seen as disposable. Parasols are nothing more than a distant memory associated with sunny strolls through French formal gardens. However, it hasn't always been like this. Let's find out more…
Umbrellas first appeared in China in the 12th century BC and were used in Rome from the 1st century AD to shelter from the sun at the theater and during chariot races. In 16th-century Japan, parasols protected people from the whims of the weather and were a must-have fashion accessory for all seasons.
When Catherine de' Medici arrived in France in 1533, her luggage included a parasol and a fan. In 1718, the Académie française (the French language council) accepted the use of the term "parapluie" (umbrella) to refer to a device which protected the user from either sun or rain.
From the French Revolution to the beginning of the 20th century, nearly 1,400 patents were filed detailing all the innovations that lead to the creation of the umbrella as we know it today.
In this century of advertising and posters, umbrellas and parasols became advertising media in their own right.
After the French Revolution, the umbrella (like the cane) was seen as a symbol of the bourgeoisie and more particularly of "rentiers," land owners with a private income.
Various systems were patented for this purpose. The umbrellas and parasols developed in the 19th century already had all the technical innovations that are modelled in today's versions.
Conception et réalisation : service Archives, INPI archives@inpi.fr
