Umbrella Cover Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Aspects of the Umbrella Cover Museum

Find a new appreciation for your umbrella cover by commemorating Umbrella Cover Day on July 6 in honour of this everyday item. Umbrella covers, a frequently neglected component, frequently end up forgotten and unused in the back of closets, in drawers, or in the garbage. Then we acquire a new umbrella, and the cycle continues. These small coverings, slipcovers, cases, and sheaths deserve our recognition.

The background of Umbrella Cover Day

Umbrellas have existed for a very long time. Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Indians utilised them for shade. To appeal to affluent, high-status families, including powerful rulers, umbrellas were made of leather in those days. Even the pope used a red-and-yellow umbrella, known as the ‘umbraculum,’ for shade; this design has been replicated in many cathedrals. While the Ancient Greeks and Romans associated umbrellas with femininity, they also covered enormous coliseums with umbrella canopies called’velarium’ that were both rain- and sun-resistant.

During the sixteenth century, umbrellas gained popularity in Europe. The nobles kept umbrellas in their corridors, which they used to walk to their carriages from their front doors. As with the Greeks and Romans, the English considered umbrellas to be an exclusive female accessory. Until the philanthropist Jonas Hanway began using an umbrella to shield himself from the rain. Jonas was not deterred by thirty years of ridicule and continued to use the umbrella. Eventually, his stance broke the taboo, and males began using umbrellas as well. Even umbrellas are referred to as ‘Hanway’ by the English. These devices gained popularity in France as well. There, they were manufactured from delicate materials such as silk and cotton, which were easily damaged. Samuel Fox, a Frenchman, was a pioneer in the umbrella industry, creating a lighter frame from whalebone and devising a closure strap. This increased the longevity by two years! Jonas Hanway’s refusal to conform to societal norms and Samuel Fox’s inventiveness contributed to the globalisation of the umbrella.

While the history of the umbrella is well-documented, less is known about the history of umbrella coverings. History makes no mention of the cover. We only know that they came into existence when umbrellas became popular because they were expensive at the time and coverings were necessary to preserve their condition over time. This function has persisted, and it is still uncommon to purchase an umbrella without a cover. Not only standard hand-held umbrellas come with coverings, but also golf umbrellas, patio umbrellas, and other models do as well.

Nancy 3 Hoffman, who established an Umbrella Cover Museum in Portland, Maine, paid the greatest homage to umbrella covers. When she located several umbrella covers in her home’s closet, Hoffman realised that she needed to establish this museum. She currently conducts offline and online exhibitions at her museum, which include the histories of umbrellas and their owners, as well as their covers.

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5 Interesting Aspects of the Umbrella Cover Museum

The Umbrella Cover Museum in the United States is the only umbrella cover museum in the globe.

This museum has received over 2,000 covers from 71 countries as of July 2015.

Nancy 3 Hoffman, the museum’s founder, utilised her home to display her collection of umbrella covers.

The museum collection of Nancy 3 Hoffman is the largest in the world.

Hoffman spent five years applying to Guinness World Records in an attempt to break a world record; eventually, a new category for umbrella sleeves was created.

UMBRELLA COVER DAY DATES