Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-11-07
ANCIENT UMBRELLAS
THEY FIGURED IN CHURCHES IN rAE
EARLY CHRISTIAN DAYS.

When First Adopted by the Publics
They Seem 40 Have Been Utilized
Solely as sun Protectors-Once AN
Attribute OF Dignity.
In the early Christian churches q
large umbrella usually hung over the
priest, and Ii is said that from this
custom Ii became one OF the attributes
Of cardinals appointed from basilican
churches For years the doges or
Venice carried umbrellas OF state, and
in 1888 Pope Alexander III. declared
that these should be surmOunted by
golden statuettes Of the annunciation.
Michael Morosini was the first Nene-
ttan layman TO carry an umbrella,
which consisted OF a small, fiat square
OF green stuff, over which was cop
per spiral Soon after the umbrella
was adopted by fashionable Venetian
danes. According to Coryats "Crudi-
ties" Q61D, the Italian umbrella was
a small canopy and was made of leath-
er extended by 4 series of wooden
hoops. He says umbrellas were used
by horsemen, who, resting the handles
on the thigh as they rode, bore them
so that they should minister shadow
unto them for shelter against the
scorching sun
In the Harleian manuscripts, now In
the British museum, there is in manu-
script No. 603 a crude illustration
showing the figure of a yoeman hold
ing an umbrella over his lord, which
leads me TO infer that umbrellas were
known In England even in the early
Anglo-Saxon period.
Beck, as quoted in the Diapers Die
tionary, asserts that at the time that
Stephen usurped the crown OF England
twelfth century, umbrellas were in
common use among the English. The
first mention of the umbrella In Eng
iish literature Is In Florio's World OF
Wonders" Q59S), where II is described
as a kind of round fan or shadowing
that they use to ride with In summer
in Italy; little shade"
In 1856 an umbrella was exhibited In
the Museum Tradescantianum; or,
Collection of Rarities Preserved at
South Lambeth, Near London. by John
.Tradescant," which was known as
"one of the wonders of the ark"
In the church of Cartmell, in Lanca-
shire, England. there was preserved
until few years ago an umbrella said
to be over 300 years old, which was
used chiefly to protect the host.
References to the umbrella are to be
III. ~ NIxr Niofp
Q674) and Phillips New Worlde of
Words Q67S). In the first the refer
ence reads: Umbrella, a fashion of
round and broad fans, wherewith the
Indians (and from them our great ones)
preserve themselves from the heat or
the sun, and hence any little shadow,
fan or other thing wherewith the wom-
en- guard their faces from the SUM-"
The second runs: Umbrella, screen
against the suns heat, used chiefly by
the Spaniards, among whom 1t Is known
by the name quitaSole."
The imaginative Dean Swift in the
Tale of Tub 1896 depicts Jack. an
ever resourceful type, making use OF
parchment copy Of his fathers will as
n nightcap when be went to bed and as
an umbrella in rainy weather. Did
the worthy Hanway take his cue from
this or from Kersey, according to whom
the umbrella was broad fan or
screen commonly used by women to
shelter them from rain" The last ref
erence, made in 1909, is the first men
tion OF II as a protector from the rain
Later Bailey, who in his dictionary
Q730 called it n parasol, defined 1t as
"a sort of small canopy 10 keep Off the
rain"
Small, light umbrellas came into
fashion among the ladies OF the French
court In 1915, and these were carried
by attendants. Richelet tells US that
they were made of oilcloth or leather
and had ribs OF whalebone. A century
later they found favor with the men,
who carried red umbrellas, with edges
rringed with gold lace.
The precise date when Jonas Han
way, who died in 1856, introduced the
umbrella into England is not recorded
IN any OF the encyclopedias / have at
hand, but they all state that he was
popularly known as its introducer-
With the Dutch, as with the Indian
grandees, the umbrella was first an at
tribute OF dignity, and well It might
be, for the prices paid for them at The
Hague In 1850 ranged from $75 20 $120
each. The Dutch colonists who settled
at the Cape of Good Hope were not
slow 10 insist on preserving the dignity
OF the umbrella, for Ryk van Tulbagh,
governor OF Cape Colony In 1852, en-
acted that "No one less in rank than
= junior merchant or those among the
citizens OF equal rank, and the wives
and daughters only Of those who are or
have been members of any council
shall venture 10 use umbrellas, and
those who are less iu rank than mer-
chants shall not enter the castle In fine
weather with an open umbrella
Frank II. Vizetelly in New York