Umbrella

Umbrella collectors like rain or shine. The first known umbrella was owned by King Louis XIII of France in 1637. The earliest umbrellas were sunshades, not designed to be used in the rain. The umbrella was embellished and redesigned many times. In 1852, the fluted steel rib style was developed and it has remained the most useful style. The first "working, folding" umbrella was patented by Bradford Phillips in the United States in 1969. For more information, explore our identification guides for textiles and advertising.