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18th Century Parasols

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Parasols: Dating, buying and restoring

Come Rain or Shine - Historic Umbrellas and Parasols

The Annals of Philadelphia provides a description of the use of parasols and umbrellas in the 18th century:

In Mrs. Shoemaker’s time, above named [having died in 1825 at the age of 95], they had no knowledge of umbrellas to keep off rain, but she had seen some few use quitasols — an article as small as present parasols. They were netirely to keep off rain from ladies. They were of oiled muslin, and were of various colours, from India by way of England. They must, however, have been but rare, as they never appear in any advertisements. Their name is derived from the Spanish.

Doctor Chanceller and the Rev. Mr. Duché were the first persons in Philadelphia who were ever seen to wear umbrellas to keep off the rain. They were of oiled linen, very coarse and clumsy, with ratan sticks. Before their time, some doctors and ministers used an oiled linen cape hooked round their shoulders, looking not unlike the big coat-capes now in use, and the ncalled a roquelaue. It was only used for severe storms.

About the year 1771, the first efforts were made in Philadephia to introduce the use of umbrellas in summer as a defence from the sun. They were then scouted in the public Gazettes as a ridiculous effeminacy. On the other hand, the physicians recommended them to keep off vertigoes, epilepsies, sore eyes, fevers, &c. Finally, as the doctors were their chief patrons, Doctor Chanceller and Doctor Morgan, with the Rev. Parson Duché, were the first persons who had the hardihood to be so singular as to wear umbrellas in sunshine. Mr. Bingham, when he returned from the West Indies, where he had amassed a great fortune in the Revolution, appeared abroad in the streets attended by a mulatto boy bearing his umbrella. But his example did not take, and he desisted from its use.




Depictions of parasols