The History of the Umbrella

By Isha Vishwananth, 2027

Published 5/4/2024

“April showers bring May flowers” is a common excuse for spring’s frequent stormy weather, often heard as people take cover under their umbrellas and wait for the rain to end. Many shudder at the idea of walking out into the rain without an umbrella. However, people often overlook the intriguing history of the essential tool that provides them protection from the torrent of April showers. 

The umbrella was invented over 4,000 years ago in early Mesopotamian civilizations. The original umbrella was not meant to protect users from rain; in those regions, the sun posed a greater threat to people than rain did. In fact, the word umbrella comes from the Latin word for “shadow”, umbra. Technically, though, because the word umbrella is now used to describe the tool that shields people from rain, the versions that protect people from sunlight are called parasols. The first parasols were made of palm leaves, papyrus (a paper-like material), and peacock feathers, and they were reserved for the upper class in ancient Egypt and the Western Asia region. Early parasols were also present in medieval China, where they were made out of bamboo sticks and covered with leaves and feathers. It was only by the 1500s that the umbrella began to resemble the modern design. Oil and wax covers replaced the palm leaves and feathers, and the umbrella became an item to protect against bad weather. 

The first European umbrellas had a “whalebone” (keratin plates in the mouth of a baleen whale) structure. Even though the whale bone structure was replaced by wood, steel, aluminum, and now fiberglass, the same basic structure remains mostly the same. The oil cloth canvas has also been replaced by more resistant types of nylon to become more effective.

Throughout the following years, umbrellas became increasingly popular within the higher-class society in 18th-century Europe; it even became a fashion accessory during the French Revolution. Craftsmen focused their work on the handles, making works of art through refining and sculpting canes from materials like ebony.

Across several centuries, the umbrella has undergone various changes and improvements in its design to become the essential item millions of people use today. Knowing this item’s extensive backstory, users can more deeply appreciate the refuge umbrellas provide from seemingly endless spring storms.