All About Umbrellas

WIKIPEDIA: An umbrella or parasol (also called a brolly, rainshade, sunshade, gamp or bumbershoot) is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasolusually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain. Often the difference is the material; some parasols are not waterproof. Parasols are often meant to be fixed to one point and often used with patio tables or other outdoor furniture. Umbrellas are almost exclusively hand-held portable devices; however, parasols can also be hand-held. Umbrellas can be held as fashion accessories.

The word umbrella comes from the Latin word umbra, meaning shade or shadow (the Latin word, in turn, derives from the Ancient Greek ómbros). Brolly is aslang word for umbrella, used often in Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa; Bumbershoot is a fanciful Americanism from the late 19th century.

Materials:

Canopy

Vinyl:

Treated polyester:

Frames and stem

Most frames are made from aluminum because it is a fairly strong metal and is very light weight.

Handle

Most handles are made from plastics or wood. Few use metal or glass because they are high conductors of heat. Because umbrellas are used mainly in cold conditions using a high conductor would mean the users hands would get cold easily.

Types of Handle...

Curved, straight, ridged, twisted...

or... really cute!

Umbrellas are an essential for everyone so they obviously come in many shapes, sizes, colours, etc; but also many companies create umbrellas to advertise their brand, for example...

Umbrella Art

Here are some art installations and advertisements which incorporate umbrellas into their design. They are all very interesting because they use the umbrellas in an original and unorthodox way.

Amazing Umbrellas

Umbrellas aint so prefect, here are some designs, some trying to fix common problems with umbrellas and some trying to turn the umbrellas into somewhat of a gadget.

The ' take a seat' umbrella

The 'look no hands mum' umbrella

The 'pampered pup' umbrella

The 'wind resistant' umbrella

The 'hands free bubble' umbrella

The 'polite' umbrella (retracts and opens to let people past)

The 'yeh I've got one in my bag' umbrella.

The 'inseparable couple' umbrella

The 'look at me' umbrella

The 'looking good' umbrella

Superstition - Umbrellas

Open an umbrella indoors and bad luck will "rain" on you. But why?

The most common stems from the days when umbrellas were used mainly as protection against the sun. To open one indoors would be to insult the local sun god (especially Ra) and invite his wrath on everyone in your household.

Another theory borrows from the idea of an umbrella as a protector against the storms of life. If you were to open one in your home, the household guardian spirits might think you felt their protection was insufficient, and then they'd leave in a huff. Once again, everyone in the house is cursed.

In truth, the superstition is probably coincidental. (Someone left his umbrella opened in the hall and had a terrible day--he told his friend to keep their umbrellas shut, and it spread.)

It isn't always bad luck to open an umbrella inside. According to some, it's only considered bad if any of the following apply:
-The umbrella was a gift.
-The umbrella is black.
-The umbrella has never been used outdoors.
-There is a sick person in the house.

Other bad luck umbrella superstitions:
-Never give an umbrella as a gift.
-Never pick up an umbrella you dropped (ask someone to do it for you).
-Never place your umbrella on a table or a bed.
-If a single woman drops her umbrella, she'll never marry

Other superstitions which are meant to bring bad look are:

• Black cats
• Putting shoes on a table
• Stepping on cracks.
• Walking under ladders.

There are many more but none have been proven to be true.

Umbrella fools

Umbrellas

Umbrellas, you can love to hate them, but when the heavens open they save the day, and your barnet.

I LOVE UMBRELLAS

They keep you dry in rainy spells

They are easy to transport inside a handbag

They are cheap to buy.

I HATE UMBRELLAS

You can't see where you are walking when you have the umbrella up.

Umbrellas and wind don't mix and turn inside out leaving you soaking.

Rain doesn't always come from directly above and horizontal rain is an umbrellas weakness.

You have to carry around the wet soggy umbrella once it has stopped raining.

If you are walking with someone it is hard to share an umbrella.

It is bad luck to open them indoors.