page_title: Awning
section_title: Early 19th century
hierarchical_section_title: Awning / History / Early 19th century
caption_attribution_description: English: Watercolour of the Divan-i Khass in the Palace in the Delhi Fort, by Ghulam 'Ali Khan, 1817. This drawing shows the red awnings and 'shamianas' fully rigged, a scene of vigorous activity beneath as a palanquin is prepared for the Emperor's departure, with various figures going about their duties. Inscribed beneath in ink in Persian: amal-i Ghulam 'Ali Khan musavvir fidvi-i Muhammad Akbar Shah Padshah Ghazi san 11 panjum mah-i shavval' (the work of Ghulam 'Ali Khan the painter, in the 11th year of Akbar Shah, 5th day of the month Shavval); and under the appropriate buildings from the left: aqb-i hamam' (back of the baths); 'naqsha-i anjuman-i Divan-i Khass dar darul khilafah Shahjahanabad' (the body of people in front of the Divan-i Khass)'; tasbih khana'(the emperor's prayer chamber on the south of the latter)'; hamam andrun-i mahall-i mubarak' (baths within the private part of the palace)'; jalau khana' (entrance hall on the extreme right)'; burj musamman' (on the golden dome). On the reverse is a faded inscription in English: 'Diwan Khass in the King's Palace ....' The Red Fort or Lal Qila, was constructed by Shah Jahan (r.1627-58) for his new city of Shahjahanabad. The Lahore gate was one of the main entrances to the fort and is composed of a central arch or 'pishtaq' with side towers. The octogonal-shaped fort complex is surrounded by high fortification walls of red sandstone which reach between 18-33 m in height. Key buildings inside the fort include the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Moti Masjid, and the Khas Mahal (private chambers of the emperor).
context_page_description: An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a light structure of aluminium, iron or steel, possibly wood or transparent material. The configuration of this structure is something of a truss, space frame or planar frame. Awnings are also often constructed of aluminium understucture with aluminium sheeting. These aluminium awnings are often used when a fabric awning is not a practical application where snow load as well as wind loads may be a factor.
  The location of an awning on a building may be above a window, a door, or above the area along a sidewalk. With the addition of columns an awning becomes a canopy, which is able to extend further from a building, as in the case of an entrance to a hotel. Restaurants often use awnings broad enough to cover substantial outdoor area for outdoor dining, parties, or reception.
context_section_description: Awnings became common during the first half of the 19th century. At that time they consisted of timber or cast iron posts set along the sidewalk edge and linked by a front cross bar. To lend support to larger installations, angled rafters linked the front cross bar to the building facade. The upper end of the canvas was connected to the facade with nails, with grommets and hooks, or by lacing the canvas to a head rod bolted to the facade. The other (projecting) end of the canvas was draped over or laced to a front bar with the edge often hanging down to form a valance. On ornate examples, metal posts were adorned with filigree and the tops decorated with spear ends, balls or other embellishments. On overcast days or when rain did not threaten, the covering was often rolled up against the building facade; during the winter months proper maintenance called for the removal and storage of awnings. Photographs from the mid-19th century often show the bare framework, suggesting that the covering was extended only when necessary. Canvas duck was the predominant awning fabric, a strong, closely woven cotton cloth used for centuries to make tents and sails.
  Awnings became a common feature in the years after the American Civil War. Iron plumbing pipe, which was quickly adapted for awning frames, became widely available and affordable as a result of mid-century industrialization. It was a natural material for awning frames, easily bent and threaded together to make a range of different shapes and sizes. At the same time the advent of the steamship forced canvas mills and sail makers to search for new markets. An awning industry developed offering an array of frame and fabric options adaptable to both storefronts and windows.
caption: Diwan-i-Khas, Red Fort, Delhi with red awnings or shamianas, in 1817
exif: {"Image Tag 0x0301": "20000/9091", "Image Tag 0x0303": "0", "Image Tag 0x5110": "1", "Image Tag 0x5111": "4724", "Image Tag 0x5112": "4724"}