The Umbrella Hat is a seemingly modern summer convenience (you can get the Wacky Umbrella Hat, at right, through Amazon, for example) - but in fact, a Victorian New Yorker invented it more than a hundred years ago.Now Stephen Bartine of Tottenville, Staten Island, though he patented an 1883 improvement on the Sunshade Hat the subject of the wonderful picture at the left) - did not invent it. Gonsalvo R. Gray of Brooklyn improved the Sunshade Hat, too, in 1881, see here. Others, such as George W. Ross of Marquez, Texas, patented improvements on the hat - which implies that it had been in existence at least as far back as the 1870s. Bartine's version of that hat seems to have been the most popular one, though.
Stephen Bartine was 46 years old in 1883, and a boat builder (so he was out in the sun a lot). The 1880 census lists him with his wife Matilda and children Ulysses, Thomas and Bertha, living at Westfield, Staten Island (Richmond County, New York).
The Sunshade Hat image is from the NYPL Digital Gallery and is dated 1890.
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Many thanks to Don at Beyond Left Field for the Superior Scribbler award and to John at Make Nothing Online and English Wilderness for the Zombie Chicken award!
8 comments:
Wow, that's a very deceptive creation; seems so modern yet is from the 1870's!
Jayne - I know, I was so surprised to see it! I think that it wasn't quite the success that it was a century later, though.
I had no idea that it was not a new invention. Funny how things always get recycled.
Amanda - It sure is. I'll bet that the people who thought of it the 2nd time around didn't know it had already been done!
I guess it really is true that if we hang onto everything long enough it will come back into fashion.
This is a surprise one though and quiet interesting.
I wonder if Amazon or the current maker of the modern version had to pay or purchase the original patten?
congrats on your awards!
Jackie
Jackie - I reckon that Amazon et al just had no idea that Stephen Bartine had been sunshading first!
That's great! I guess nerds live through the ages!
Kirsten - Indeed they do ;)
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