Get Ready for National Umbrella Day!
A blog post by Collections Manager Joanna Church. To read more posts from Joanna click HERE.
Tomorrow, as I’m sure everyone knows, is a very important holiday: it’s National Umbrella Day. This seems the perfect opportunity to take a look at some of the umbrellas and related material in our collections. After all, Baltimore has a long history with this useful accessory.
Many sources have claimed that the first umbrella ever seen in the United States was brought to Baltimore from India in 1772. That story is difficult to confirm, but it may stem in part from this tidbit published in 1874, in J. Thomas Scharf’s The Chronicles of Baltimore; Being a History of “Baltimore Town” and Baltimore City from the Earliest Period to the Present Time:
“1772. In this year the first efforts were made in Baltimore to introduce the use of umbrellas as a defence from the sun and rain. They were then scouted as a ridiculous effeminacy. On the other hand, the physicians recommended them to keep off vertigos, epilepsies, sore-eyes, fevers, &c. Finally, as the doctors were their chief patrons, [umbrellas] were generally adopted. They were of oiled linen, very coarse and clumsy, with rattan sticks, and were imported from India by way of England.” (JMM 2000.135.5, gift of Robert L. Weinberg)
Whether or not the city was host to the first umbrella on these shores, it was indeed the home of the first umbrella factory in the US, started by Francis Beehler in 1828. Other Baltimore companies manufactured umbrellas and parasols throughout the 19th century, and by the 1920s the city could boast of being the “Center of [the] Umbrella Trade” (as proclaimed in a Baltimore Sun headline on September 30, 1922). The 1926 city directory listed 13 manufacturers and wholesalers, and claimed that “Baltimore manufactures over 5,000,000 umbrellas annually with a value of approximately $7,000,000.”
The 1926 list includes some familiar names. Polan, Katz & Co., founded in 1906, was one of the better-known manufacturers; the company was in existence until 1981, when Charles Katz – son of one of the founders – retired. The JMM has a number of mid 20th century Polan, Katz & Co. umbrellas in our collections, from plain, serviceable examples to some that are a little more fanciful. My personal favorite is this one from the 1940s, a 23” long umbrella with a clear plastic handle and a nylon canopy of golden brown, in a nice (and once again fashionable) ombré, decorated with jacks.
Another local brand, Gans Brothers (founded in 1888), was known for its charming slogan: “Born in Baltimore, Raised Everywhere.” The company dealt in inventions as well as manufacture; family members and employees patented a variety of machinery designed to improve the umbrella-making process, as well as the finished products themselves.
The only Gans Brothers example in our collections, a 38” long, black silk umbrella from the late 19th century, shows some of that innovation. The handle is of repoussé silver in an elaborate floral pattern, striking in and of itself. Closer examination, however, shows function within the style. The wrist strap – rather than the typical fabric cord – is a sturdy chain that can be tightened by feeding it through a hole in the knob at the end of the handle. The tip-cup (where the handle connects to the shaft) has a lip that holds the ends of the ribs in place when the umbrella is furled; it slides down to release the ribs when needed. It’s not surprising that this useful bit is marked “Patent Applied For”, though I’ve not yet matched it with a successful patent (in my defense, there are over 50 “umbrella tip-cup” U.S. patents to choose from).
The handle has another interesting element: an engraved mark. In addition to a printed “Born in Baltimore, Raised Everywhere” label on the inside of the canopy, the manufacturers added an elaborately entwined “GB” on the end of the knobbed handle. The donor of this piece, Dr. Emanuel Bernstein, informed us that it was owned by his grandmother Bertha Gans, wife of company partner Moses Gans; it was thought that perhaps the initials were meant as B.G. for her name. However, Gans Brothers company letterhead and invoices from the turn of the last century show an official GB logo like this one. That’s not to say, of course, that this wasn’t in fact Bertha ‘s umbrella; and perhaps she got a kick out of having her initials on the handle, however coincidentally.
I hope these photos and artifacts have inspired you to celebrate National Umbrella Day, and that you’ll be sure to wield your favorite umbrella tomorrow. No rain in the forecast? Use it as a parasol or sunshade. No sun, either? (Based on how this winter has gone, that seems likely.) Well, an umbrella can still be handy, especially if it’s a nice substantial size. Use it as a walking stick, or just carry it around and pretend you’re a 19th century lady or gentleman. I’m sure no one will look at you oddly; after all, everyone knows it’s National Umbrella Day!
Pre-Valentine’s Day Bonus Photo; Or, The Best Umbrella Photo Ever?
