We’ll Be Here Forever (Give or Take a Few Years)
In the meantime, Pulp Pluviophiles, as Rihanna sensibly suggests, you could probably use an umbrella or two. And the umbrellas of the moment? Anatole Micro Umbrellas! Small (17.5cm when folded), light (220 grams!), sturdy (made from fibreglass and carbon), and perfectly formed, the Anatole is an aesthetic dream.
Tiny enough to pop into a pouch, tote or even a groovy jacket pocket, this brolly comes in all the rainbow colours. Can you see the sun peeking out behind those rain clouds?
But before we get overly gushy about this mind-blowingly exquisite, convenient, and value-for-money Bumbershoot, let us take a little soiree into this amazing technology piece's history. Yes! Umbrellas are the ultimate tech.
But who invented this contraption that keeps the rain off our noggins? Well, let us ask you one question: Have you ever heard of Lu Ban? He was a Chinese inventor/architect/structural engineer. Perhaps even the first slashie (i.e. someone who earns income from more than one occupation—amazing!)
Okay, well, there’s a saying we need to hear right now: Behind every innovative man, there’s an innovative woman.
Yup, you guessed it. Lu Ban’s wife was the first to come up with the idea. She designed a telescopic wooden frame, and then a layer of cowhide was tied to the wooden frame. She was inspired after she overheard some people sheltering from the rain under a pavilion, wishing the pavilion could move with them to protect them from the downpour. Lightbulb moment! She went home and concocted what she named a “moveable house” and what we now know as an umbrella. Fancy that.
In any case, Lu Ban decided that his wife’s idea wasn’t too shabby, and he decided to try his own version, so he went on to innovate another protoype - inspired when he saw a boy using a lotus leaf as a rainy day parasol. Whodathunkit?!
Then, about a million years later - actually 3407 years - in 1928- Hans Haupt made things infinitely more convenient by inventing the foldable. His big idea was born from frustration - specifically when he couldn't carry his walking stick and umbrella at the same time. All he wanted to do was pop his brolly in his pocky! So he made it happen. Thanks, Hans!
This nifty origami-style (folding—geddit?) gamp paved the way for oh-so-handy rain prevention in the early 20th Century and beyond! And even when the sun is shining bright like a diamond, you just never know when the next surprise shower will appear. But no fear, with the ultra-compact and mini Anatole umbrella in your holster, you’ll be ready.
Now it's time to spread our wings and fly - for our blogilicious not-so final good bye xx