William Sangster’s Umbrellas and Their History is a genial nineteenth-century account of the humble umbrella, tracing its long career from ancient ceremonial parasols to the everyday accessory of Victorian Britain. Sangster, himself an umbrella manufacturer, gathers anecdote, etymology, and history to chronicle the rise of an object once mocked and later indispensable.
The book recounts the social resistance early umbrella-carriers faced and the gradual triumph of the device against rain and sun alike. Lighthearted yet informative, it doubles as a small study in manners, weather, and material culture. A delightful curiosity of accessory history, it is available here as a free EPUB download.