Umbrella (history of invention). Who invented the umbrella The story of the adventure of the umbrella

The oldest images of umbrellas that have survived to our time are more than 3000 years old. The “copyright” for the umbrella belongs to China, where an ordinary carpenter worker in the 10th century BC. e made for his wife “a roof that is always with her.”

But, as often happens with new products, umbrellas became an item of the highest luxury and the privilege of a select few - kings and nobles. Umbrellas served them both as protection from the sun and as a distinctive sign that demonstrated the nobility and wealth of its owner.

Thus, the king of Siam used to walk under an umbrella with seven domes, decorated with diamonds and gold. The King of Burma had an umbrella of 24 domes, for which he received the nickname “Lord of the 24 Umbrellas.” The cult of the umbrella existed even in African states, where it, along with the crown, was a symbol of power. As the years passed, the umbrella became an increasingly popular item.

From the East it migrated to Greece, then to Rome, and later to medieval Europe, where lovely lace ladies' parasols (sun umbrellas) appeared. The second wave of popularity of umbrellas came in the 18th century, when they began to be used for shelter from the rain. The idea seemed so successful that this function was eventually assigned to the umbrella as the main one.

Umbrellas appeared in Russia at the end of the 18th century.
They came along with fashions, milliners and other Parisian achievements. However, despite the fact that the umbrella came from France, the French version of its name - “parasol” - did not take root in Russia (unlike, for example, our Ukrainian neighbors, who call the umbrella “parasol”). According to linguists, the Russian name for this item was borrowed from the naval charter of the early 18th century. “Zondek” (Gol. “zondec”) is a sun canopy on a ship.

Umbrellas aroused the imagination of not only fans " Kuznetsky Bridge and eternal updates": umbrellas-fishing rods, umbrellas-daggers, umbrellas-lightning rods and even women's umbrellas for self-defense with an alarm - whatever unusual functions the uncontrollable imagination of the inventors endowed this item with.

And although today such umbrellas are a curiosity, the efforts of the inventors were not in vain. Today, an umbrella is a high-tech item.

They are made from the most modern materials, and not only designers, but also engineers work on the creation of new models. Folding automatic umbrellas are becoming more and more convenient to use. But, as you know, the more complex the technology, the more vulnerabilities it has. Therefore, the cane umbrella is not becoming less popular.

The simple and elegant design of the cane umbrella has been out of fashion for over 100 years. A cane umbrella is not only beautiful, but also convenient: water easily rolls off its rigid and more rounded dome, and the umbrella dries faster.

In addition, it is also a special chic, demonstrating the taste, elegance and cloudless mood of its owner..

Do you like to walk under an umbrella and listen to the raindrops? I am very. But there was a time when an umbrella only protected from the sun. In this story I will tell you how the history of the umbrella began.

The history of the appearance of the umbrella is unknown, but a beautiful legend remains. It says that many centuries ago, one Chinese man, who loved his wife very much, came up with a “roof that is always with her” so that she could walk in any weather.

The Indian story tells about a girl Zita. They were very kind and knew how to cook well. But from working in the sun for a long time, her face became red and swollen. And then one of the sacred gods decided to marry the young lady. To do this, he gave her a canopy over her head with a personalized handle. The sun no longer burned Zita, and everyone saw how beautiful she was.

The first umbrellas weighed more than 2 kilograms, and their handles were about one and a half meters long. Ordinary people were forbidden to use an umbrella, because the umbrella was considered a symbol of power and wealth. The cane and knitting needles were made of bamboo, and the cloth was made of thick paper impregnated with a special composition or palm leaves and bird feathers. Often the umbrella was carried not by the owner himself, but by his special servant. Umbrellas were decorated with diamonds and gold, and several domes were made on them. The larger the umbrella, the more important its owner was. The King of Burma had an umbrella with 24 domes! And umbrellas were used mainly in hot countries: Egypt, India, China.

Only in the 17th century did the umbrella reach European fashionistas. In those days, a tan was a sign of poverty, white skin was in fashion, so every self-respecting girl always had an umbrella with her to hide from the sun's rays.

It is believed that the first to use an umbrella to protect from rain was the Englishman Hanway in the 18th century. He took an ordinary women's parasol, replaced the fabric with a thicker and darker one, and began walking through the rainy streets of London. The walks were accompanied by whistling and laughter from the crowd, because it was believed that the umbrella was intended only for women and only as protection from the sun. But they didn’t laugh for long; soon everyone realized that such a device was a real salvation for those who did not have a crew.

Since then, the umbrella has conquered the world and new uses are constantly being found for it. For example, a hundred years ago an unusual option was developed for turning an umbrella into a manual lightning rod. It could protect its owner from lightning strikes. To do this, a long metal rod was installed on top, which was connected to the ground with wire. The owner of the umbrella, hiding under a silk tent, firmly held a wooden handle in his hands - an insulator. And in the USA in the middle of the last century, a woman’s umbrella was proposed to be used as a means of protection against attacks on the street. The umbrellas, after simply pressing the handle, released a cloud of tear gas towards the villain and simultaneously turned on the siren.

A modern umbrella can protect not only from rain, but also predict the weather. A sensor is built into the handle of the barometer umbrella - it reacts to signals about approaching precipitation, and the handle begins to glow.

A familiar thing - an umbrella - came to us from the distant past. As evidenced by archaeological finds, the first images of an umbrella are more than 3,500 years old. In ancient times, umbrellas were valued as the greatest treasures and were passed down from generation to generation. It was believed that they accumulate the positive potential of a person, protect against evil thoughts and impart power...

The history of the word “umbrella” is extremely interesting and unusual. Indeed, the word "umbrella" did not come from the word "umbrella", as it might seem. In the Russian language, the word “umbrella” first appeared, and then, by analogy, the word “umbrella”.

In Russian, the word “umbrella” was first noticed in the 18th century. It came along with many other nautical and military terms from the Dutch language thanks to Peter I. Among other words denoting ship equipment and equipment, there was the word zonnedek, meaning “canopy, awning, fabric roof over the deck.” Gradually, zondek “Russified” and, for starters, lost the first letter “e”, becoming zondek. But this was unusual for Russian ears, and the “zondek” was converted into an “umbrella.”

The ending “dec” was very reminiscent of the diminutive suffix “ik”. And then healthy logic worked: if there is an umbrella, then there was once an umbrella (according to the principle “house - house”, “ball - ball”, “bow - bow”, etc.). And there never was an “umbrella”!
The word “umbrella” is a classic example of reverse word formation.

This is how the non-Russian word “umbrella” came about, which no longer exists in any language in the world except Russian.

Egyptian umbrellas were at first nothing more than palm branches. White skin was considered a sign of nobility, so fans not only cooled, but also protected from sunburn

Only the pharaoh and his family members could use an umbrella; mere mortals had no right to even touch such a lofty thing. The Egyptians believed that a sun umbrella prevented the penetration of the rays of knowledge of truth.

Egyptian umbrellas and fans consisted of several tiers and were made from palm leaves and bird feathers.

The personification of supreme power was an umbrella in Ancient Babylon, Assyria and Phenicia. Ancient rulers gave golden umbrellas to temples.

In India, it was considered a symbol of power and protection and was an indispensable attribute of ceremonies. Earthly rulers decorated their luxurious palaces with golden umbrellas. And on the roofs of the heavenly abode of the gods, the Indians imagined wise monkeys sitting proudly under the canopy of huge umbrellas. In India, it was believed that an umbrella not only gives wealth and influence, but also protects the owner from illness and suffering.

The umbrella occupied a central place in the symbolism of Buddhism, symbolizing one of the eight signs of happiness. He was depicted above the head of Buddha, on the thrones of rulers and even on the harness of war elephants. At the same time, in different positions, the umbrella changes its symbolic meaning, for example, raised above the head, it expresses reverence and admiration. The umbrella was adorned with the proud title of the ruler of Burma, which sounded like “King of White Elephants and Lord of Twenty-Four Umbrellas.”

There is a legend that Buddha was once asked what his burial structure should be? The teacher laid his cloak on the ground and turned a round begging bowl onto it. The hemisphere, a symbol of heaven and infinity, in Buddhism means the nirvana of Buddha and Buddha himself.

The central pole of the stupa is the axis of the Universe, connecting heaven and earth - a symbol of the World Tree of Life. The “umbrellas” at the end of the pole mean the steps of ascent to nirvana and at the same time are a symbol of power.

Young men who were trained in Buddhist monasteries and appointed to positions received an umbrella and a silver betel box as symbols of belonging to the scribes. And the rank of official scribes was determined by the decoration and number of tiers of the umbrellas, which constantly reminded of the dome of heaven and the sanctity of royal power. High dignitaries had multi-tiered umbrellas trimmed with gold, and the umbrella of the “great king of kings” had seven tiers.

In China, one of the four heavenly emperors was always depicted with an umbrella. In Ancient China, a sun umbrella was one and a half meters long and weighed about two kilograms. Chinese mandarins walked the streets under skyscraper umbrellas decorated with intricate designs.

In the Celestial Empire, umbrellas were available not only to emperors, but also to ordinary mortals; only they were entitled to umbrellas made of canvas or paper. An elaborately painted silk or paper umbrella with a bamboo frame and handle is a traditional item of Chinese culture.

The image of a Chinese and then Japanese woman with an umbrella was repeated in painting and graphics so often that in the minds of Europeans, the image of an oriental fragile woman became inseparable from the umbrella in her hand.

Umbrellas, like many other things, came to Japan from China about fifteen hundred years ago. At first, only representatives of secular and religious authorities had the right to them; they were made of red silk and decorated with family coats of arms. This red umbrella was a symbol of the emperor’s power.

This or that color of the umbrella is not at all an accident. If in Japan it was red, then in Tibet they preferred white and yellow umbrellas - these colors were considered a sign of spiritual greatness. In addition, the Tibetans believed that an umbrella could protect against evil thoughts and impart greatness to the spirit of the owner.

The first umbrellas were brought to Europe by the ancient Greeks. But in Greece, and later in Rome, at first the umbrella not only protected from the scorching sun or rain, but rather demonstrated the status of the owner. Only over time did it become a practical item. But even in practical Europe so necessary thing It didn’t take root right away.

At first they were carried away by the oriental wonder, but then they forgot about it for many centuries. In the Middle Ages, when many things were banned, the umbrella was no exception. True, from the 12th century. it was so beloved by the bishops that four centuries later the Pope was forced to specifically codify the rights of umbrella-bearing among the clergy.

A hundred years later, umbrellas reached France, where they were endowed with individuality - they became round, oval, square, made of lace, silk, linen, with handles made of wood, ivory, and with knitting needles made of whalebone.

It is believed that this happened with the light hand of Henry IV’s wife, Queen Marie de’ Medici. The French sun umbrella, which was called a “parasol,” had a top made of waxed canvas and a bone handle.

IN Russia umbrellas appeared only at the end of the 18th century. together with French fashions and milliners and were called by the common word “parasol”. And such a familiar word “umbrella” was officially established in Russian dictionaries only in 1834. It was formed from the Dutch “zondek”. This is what was called the sun canopy on a ship in the naval regulations of the early 18th century.

Then the rain umbrella began to take on a familiar shape. In 1768, the Englishman Jonas Hanway took up its construction, and suffered a lot of humiliation with his brainchild. As soon as he went out into the street, passers-by began to mock him, and cabmen deliberately threw mud at him. “An umbrella is sure proof that you don’t have a crew,” Hanway sadly remarked about this.

However, a hundred years later, by the middle of the 19th century, the umbrella became an indicator of respectability and an integral symbol of conservative values. It was worn by all bourgeois regardless of whether it was raining outside or the sun was shining.

The design of the umbrella changed following the trends of the times. Technical improvements concerned its shape, size, and handle. The latter were made with a bend or were hollow in order to carry stilettos, swords, snuff boxes, mouthpieces, pipes and even small flasks.

After decades of improvements, the umbrella finally acquired a modern look - a dome made of rubberized fabric with a steel frame and spokes. The innovation was patented by mechanic Samuel Fox in 1850.

At the end of the same XIX century. a lightning rod umbrella was developed. To do this, a long metal rod was installed on its dome, which was connected to the ground with wire. In addition, the owner of the umbrella had to hold a wooden stick in his hands - an insulator.

And in the middle of the 20th century. double folding umbrellas were invented. In the 70s semi-automatic umbrellas appeared. And although these inventions were called the “umbrella revolution”, given the considerable age of the umbrella, we can safely say that in general it has not undergone significant changes.

However, human imagination did not stop there.

In the USA, they proposed using a women's umbrella as a means of defense. By simply pressing a handle, the umbrellas released a cloud of tear gas and simultaneously sounded a siren.

The helium pillow, invented in 1991, became a rather meaningless version of the umbrella. It is secured with straps through which the arms are passed, and rests on the shoulders. This strange structure was called the “floating shadow”, but it turned out that it did not really protect from rain.

Inventors from Russia also presented an umbrella that does not need to be held in your hand. It is attached to the head and waist using elastic straps.

But the new design of the ideal umbrella of the future, invented by 23-year-old designer Richard Lawson, is predicted to be a success. Lawson's umbrella has no sharp corners, no spokes, it is made of heavy-duty plastic and waterproof nylon, is resistant to strong winds, and when assembled it is a fourteen-centimeter disk that fits in the palm of your hand.

Korean inventors have come up with a bioumbrella. The shape of its shell is designed so that it can be quickly connected to the umbrella of a person walking next to it. This creates a single roof without cracks, gaps or flowing water. Umbrellas can also be used separately.

In Russia, an umbrella model has been developed for emergency situations when exiting the upper floors of the building is difficult. The device is an inverted umbrella packed into a backpack and weighs about 20 kg. When the ring is pulled out, it is automatically filled with compressed gas.

At the moment of opening, a person finds himself inside the umbrella and, like on a magic carpet, flies down. There are similar devices for groups of people and even large items.

Engineering thought does not stand still. And maybe in the near future an umbrella will be invented that can protect not only from rain, wind and sun, but also from exhaust gases, radiation and other negative influences of the external environment?

And if you let your imagination fly freely, you can imagine an umbrella that, with the help of mechanisms that have not yet been invented, will maintain vitality and protect against bad mood and negative emotions.

It’s not for nothing that the ancients believed so much in its miraculous power, considering the umbrella a symbol of happiness, peace and mental balance.

Adults often don’t take picture books seriously: there’s nothing to read in them! The publishing house "Swing" explains why such publications are important and useful. Firstly, it’s great to spend time with the whole family with such a book. Adults can tell the story, and the child will add his own additions. And after some time, he himself will invent such adventures as you have never even dreamed of! This process develops imaginative thinking and replenishes lexicon: To describe something, you must first find the words! You'll see that in a few years this will be useful to your child, for example, at school when writing essays. Secondly, books without words are far from ephemeral. You can return to them even after a few years and come up with a completely new story, paying attention to details, using the accumulated life experience. We asked three children's writers to tell a story based on one of the illustrations in the book “Umbrella”. Let's see how differently they did it.

Irina Zartaiskaya:

One day the puppy Tishka decided to go to Africa. He took sunscreen and an umbrella with him.
- Why do you need an umbrella? - the neighbor's dog Bobik was surprised.
- It doesn’t rain in Africa!
- It will come in handy! - Tishka answered and boarded the plane.
It was really very hot in Africa. The sun was so hot that sunscreen didn't help. But you could always hide in the shadow of an umbrella. Tishka walked a lot on the African savannah. He was riding an elephant. I counted the stripes on a zebra. And he examined the surroundings, sitting on the neck of a giraffe. He even had to fight off a pack of ferocious crocodiles led by a boa constrictor!
- Rrrr! - the crocodiles growled.
- Shhh! - the boa constrictor hissed. Tishka fought back with an umbrella like a sword, and then opened it right in the boa’s mouth! Smack! While the crocodiles were saving their commander, the elephant handed Tishka his trunk and helped him escape.
- Well, did you find your umbrella useful? - Bobik asked when Tishka returned home.
- Did you doubt it? - the puppy smiled and went to the store for a new umbrella. In a month he was going to go to the North Pole.

Yulia Simbirskaya:

The wind got tired of blowing, and the Puppy and the Umbrella landed in a round clearing.
- Ugh! “It’s time to take a break,” the Puppy said to the Umbrella and looked around. There was jungle all around, and the splashing of a river could be heard very close by.
- I wonder who lives here?
- We! - The crocodiles responded in unison and crawled out of the thickets in unison. The puppy backed away. He didn't know how to properly get acquainted with crocodiles so as not to fall straight into the mouth.
-Click-clack! Click-click! Clang-clang! - It came from all sides. And then a suspicious hiss was added to the crocodile chorus - a snake!
-Hey, wind! - The Puppy called. But the wind was silent, he was calmly sleeping somewhere on the tops of the trees.
“Give us your beautiful red umbrella and you will remain safe,” suggested the main crocodile.
- Never! - The puppy answered. The umbrella trembled in his paws with fear.
“It’s a pity,” the crocodiles sighed. - Then we will eat you both.
Then the Puppy felt someone’s breath behind him. “Are crocodiles really surrounding us?!” - he thought and looked around...

And now, friends, pay attention! Very soon we will announce an interesting competition based on this book. Do not miss.

What was the impetus for the creation of the now popular and indispensable accessory - the umbrella? No, it’s not rain, as many may think. The reason for this was the burning sun. It was this that made people hide from their annoying rays under the dome of a huge accessory.

Where did the umbrella come from?

But who came up with the idea to create a portable “roof” over your head? History does not answer this question. It is only known that they began to actively use it in Egypt and China, long before our era, around the 10th century. Afterwards, umbrellas began to appear in India, Tibet, Ancient Grace, and Rome. In the 17th century, I learned about the existence of this useful item. Western Europe, or rather France. And so began the development and improvement of umbrellas. But let's go back to the distant past...

What are they, the first umbrellas?

The word umbrella itself comes from the Dutch “zonnedek”, which literally means “canopy from the sun”. The first accessories were massive and heavy. They weighed about 2 kg, and the length of the handle was 1.5 m. The large dome created enough shade to completely hide from the sun.
Initially, the umbrella was considered a symbol of power and wealth. Its presence indicated the high status of the owner. Emperors, pharaohs and rulers had several accessories in their wardrobe, each of which was intended for a specific day and occasion. A nobleman is not supposed to carry such heavy loads, so a whole “squad” of servants was assigned for this purpose. And the larger the umbrella, the more important the person was.
For production they used bamboo, panels, paper with special impregnation, bird feathers, palm leaves, expensive fabrics, etc. The domes, of which there were often several pieces, were decorated with gold and diamonds.

The umbrella conquers Europe

Already more compact and miniature ones appeared in France in the 17th century. Their popularity grew rapidly due to fashion trends of the time. It is known that Chinese women have always sought to hide from the sun so that their delicate skin remains white as porcelain. Noble ladies in Europe at that time believed that light skin color was a sign of wealth, and a tan was a sign of poverty. It was not fashionable to bask in the sun, so everyone hid under exquisite lace umbrellas.
Until May 4, 1715, the sun umbrella was a one-piece structure that consisted of a frame and stretched fabric. This day went down in history thanks to Parisian craftsmen. They made a folding umbrella. It became more convenient to wear the accessory, but its main task was still protection from the sun.

Starting to use an umbrella as protection from the rain

In 1750, Jonas Henway noticed that it could serve another function if the fabric was replaced with a water-repellent material. This is how an accessory appeared that is in every home today - a rain umbrella. Since then, its design has remained virtually unchanged, but new types and models have appeared. Which we will talk about in our next articles.