The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-11-01
ANCIENT UMBRELLAS
THEY FIGURED IN CHURCHES IN THE
EARLY CHRISTIAN DAYS.

~ ~
When First Adopted by the Public,
They Seem to Have Been Utilized
Solely as SUN T'rotectors-Once an
Attribute of Dignity.
In the early Christian churches a
large umbrella usually hung over the
priest, and it is said that from this
custom it became one of the attributes
of cardinals appointed from basilican
churches. For years the doges of
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-
tan layman to carry an umbrella,
which consisted of a small. fiat square
of green stuff. over which was a cop
per spiral. Soon after the umbrella
was adopted by fashionable Venetian
DANES. According to Coryat's "Crudi-
ties" Q611), the Italian umbrella vas
a small canopy and was made of leath-
er extended by a series of wooden
hoops. He a umbrellas were used
by horsemen, who, resting the handles
en- 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. GO3 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-SaNon period.
Beck, as quoted in the Diapers Die
tionary, asserts that at the time that
Stephen usurped the crown of England
Twelfth century, umbrellas We're III
common use among the English. The
first mention of the umbrella in Eng
lish literature is in Florio's World of
Wonders" 159S). where it is described
as a "kind of round fan or shadowing
that they use to ride with in summer
in Italy; a little shade"
In 1856 an umbrella was exhibited in
the Museum Tradescantianum; OF,
Collection of Rarities Preserved ut
South Lambeth. Near London, by John
Tradescant," which was known as
zone of the wonders of the ark
In the church of Cartmell. in Lanca-
shire, England, there was preserved
until a few years ago an umbrella said
to be over 800 years old, which vas
used chiefly to protect the host.
References to the umbrella are to be
found also in Blount's "Glossographia'
Q674) and Phillips New Worlde of
Words GGIS). In the first the refer
ence reads: "Umbrello, a fashion OF
round and broad fans, wherewith the
Indians (and from them our great ones
preserve themselves from the heat OF
. the sun. and hence any little shadow
fan or other thing wllerewith the WON
en- guard their faces from the sun.
The second runs: "Umbrello. a screei
against the suns heat, used chiefly by
the Spaniards. among whom it is known
by the name quitasole.'
The imaginative Dean Swift in til,
'Tale of a Tub q69G, depicts Jack, al
ever resourceful type. making use of
parchment copy of his fathers will Il!
a nightcap when he went to bed and a!
an umbrella in rainy weather. Die
the worthy Hanway take his cue from
this or from kersey, according to whom
; the umbrella was a broad fan o
screen commonly used by women t
shelter them from rain?' The last ref
erence, made in 1909, is the first men
ton of it as a protector from the rain
Later Bailey. who in his dictionar,
q73O called it a parasol, defined it a
"a sort of small canopy to keep off tn
rain"
Small, light umbrellas came int
fashion among the ladies of the Frenc
court in 1915, and these were carrie
by attendants. Richelet tells us tina
they were made of oilcloth or leathe
and had ribs of whalebone. A centur
later they found favor with the mel
who carried red umbrellas, with edge
fringed with gold lace.
The precise date when Jonas Har
way, who died in 17S6, introduced til
umbrella into England is not recorde
in any of the encyclopedias l have
hand, but they all state that he wa
popularity known as its %introducer.
With the Dutch, as with the India
grandees. the umbrella was first an a
tribute of dignity, and well it migl
be, for the prices paid for them at II
Hague in 1850 ranged from $50 to ST.
each. The Dutch colonists who settle
at the Cape of Good Hope We're NJ
slow to insist on preserving the dignit
of the umbrella. for Ryk van Tulbagl
governor of Cape Colony in 1852, el
acted that mo one less in rank tina
a Junior merchant or those among tt
citizens of equal rank, and the wiyt
and daughters only of those who are
have been members Of any counC
shall venture to use umbrellas, al
those who are less in rank than me
chants shall not enter the castle in iii
weather with an open umbrella"
Frank Fl. Vizetelly in New Vol
Times.
A Nongolfer's Opinion of Golf.