History of the Auto Tilt Umbrella

While the auto tilt umbrella and modern outdoorAccording to religious belief, umbrellas symbolized
furniture are relatively recent innovations, thefertility and rebirth. The Egyptian goddess Nut
concept of patio umbrellas dates back to ancientwas compared to an umbrella because of how
times and enjoys a rich past that spans the globe.her body covered the earth.
Outwardly a humdrum topic, patio umbrellas heldIn China, umbrellas became elaborate and ornate
a coveted place in palaces and protected earlyaffairs reserved for royalty. The unique thing
man.about the ancient Chinese umbrellas was not
The word umbrella comes from the Latin wordnecessarily their size but their tiers. The Emperor
"umbra," meaning shadow. The very firstwas said to have four tiers on his. Better than
umbrellas were a far cry from the auto tiltthat though was the King of Siam's nine-tiered
umbrella, simple canopies made from the branchesparasol. This may be a very rough precursor to
of banana trees. Most likely, early man wasthe dual wind vents so popular in oversized golf
inspired by the natural umbrage offered by treesumbrellas.
during the hotter parts of the day, when manIn the Middle Ages, parasols were accepted as a
would rest from hunting and gathering. Animals,part of religious ceremonies, today called an
especially those living in the desert know all tooombrellino. The Pope at that time would carry
well the vital importance of having shade.one. Its origin stems from a brown and white
It was between 1100-1200 BC in China or Egyptumbrella first given by Constantine the Great, and
that we first saw the nascent designs of thea striated gold and red canopy umbrella is shown
modern umbrella. In ancient Greece and Romeabove the cross keys of St. Peter. The church
umbrellas were used to protect against the sun,was actually quite influential in the spread of
while Roman women first invented the idea ofumbrellas through Europe, beginning in Italy.
stronger and practically waterproof umbrellas byWhen it reached England, the umbrella exploded in
oiling their cloth canopies to create a seal.popularity. And it was not for shading like you'd
In a lot of cultures, having fair skin was a sign offind with the auto tilt umbrellas. Rather, the British
privilege, and in ancient Egypt a sign of nobility.appreciated the invention because of their
The royal court took the umbrella concept andnotoriously bad weather. Patio umbrellas could be
modified it into parasols that would keep their skinseen outside coffee shops between 1685 and
from tanning. In Assyria, the king and only the1705 to protect their patrons. The first specialized
king was allowed to carry an umbrella. In Greece,umbrella store was called James Smith and Sons.
women became associated with the use ofOpen since 1830, they still operate out of their
parasols, and one would be carried over thestore in London. As umbrellas evolved, Samuel
statue of Dionysius during festivals. It was alsoFox is credited with inventing a steel ribbed
used to honor the Pallas Athena. The connotationumbrella in 1852 out of the remnants of women's
with women and umbrellas eventually led to thecorsets. In 1885 William C. Carter patented an
practice of women carrying frilly parasols aroundumbrella stand, and thus paired with the steel
as a fashionable accessory.ribbing, the modern patio umbrella came into being.
During this time, outdoor umbrellas more akin toThe auto tilt umbrella followed not long after.
the patio style ones began appearing throughoutInitially, it opened manually, but in the last few
Egypt, Assyria, China, Greece and India, evidenceddecades the automated models were perfected.
in artwork of the time. Sculptures depicting patioAmong them, the collar tilt and shade-dial each
umbrellas were found in the archaeological digs ofhave different mechanisms.
such cities as Nineveh, Persopolis and Thebes.