Category Everyday Science

               The umbrella was first made not to protect one from rain, but from the sun. The Chinese were credited with inventing the first form of umbrella — the silk umbrella. At the same time, rain umbrellas, more like parasols, were being used by the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Arabs and Indians, as early as the 4th century B.C.

               Initially, umbrellas were made with many different materials such as feathers, leather and leaves. However, the canopy shape of umbrellas had always been the same. The Romans called their umbrella by the name umbralum, meaning shady place. They were made of cloth stretched over a wooden frame.

               During the 5th century AD, the very first waterproof umbrella was made out of oiled mulberry bark. However, the Italians were the ones who invented the modern umbrella late in the 16th century. The word umbrella is adapted to English from Italian.

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               The shirt evolved from the simple T-shaped undergarment of the Middle Ages. The linen shirt soon became a staple of men’s wardrobes. Shirt collars and cuffs were detachable pieces of lace until the 19th century, when stiff collars and cuffs were attached to the shirt with fancy pins.

               Modern-day shirts with buttons in the front became common after 1900. Soon, stripes, checks, and lines gave more fashion. Although they had been around since the 1920s, chest pockets became a more common feature on shirts during the 1960s.

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               In 1790, the English inventor Thomas Saint invented the first sewing machine design, but he did not successfully advertise or market his invention. His machine was meant to be used on leather and canvas material.

               Barthelemy Thimmoniers, a French tailor, created the prototype for the first commercially produced model in 1830, but his machine was destroyed by rioting tailors afraid for their jobs. Later in 1834, Walter Hunt created the lock stitch, the first true sewing-machine stitch. But his daughter persuaded him not to patent it. Although all later machines used his lock stitch, he failed to profit from it.

               In 1843, a Boston mechanic Elias Howe developed a machine after watching his wife’s arm movements while sewing. He patented it in 1846. In 1851, Isaac Singer, produced one of the first truly practical sewing machines. He also introduced the first home sewing machine in 1856.

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               Primitive men used to stitch clothes using bones and thorns in order to protect themselves from the winter. Later, they started using earliest forms of needles, made out of bone, horn and ivory, with a round hole at one end, or in the middle.

               The Egyptians were the first to use copper pins to fasten their clothes. It was in Europe during the Bronze Age, that the first metal needles and pins with a wire bent over to form the head were made.

               It was in the 14th century that needles were first introduced in Europe. They were brought from the Middle East. In Germany in 1370, the proper steel needle with a hook at the end to hold the thread was made. The first modern-day metal needles with closed eyes were made in the Netherlands. Leather thongs were used instead of threads until spools were introduced in the 1700s. In 1820, Lemnel Wright developed a machine to make needles. In 1844, John Mercer invented cotton threads with sheen.

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               In 1851, Elias Howe, an American inventor, received a patent for an ‘automatic, continuous clothing closure’. However, he did not receive much recognition as his marketing was unsuccessful.

               Many attempts in producing a perfect fastener had happened in the early days. But only in 1913 was the first practical hook less fastener patented, by Gideon Sundback, who was employed by the Automatic Hook and Eye Company. This model was named Talon Slide Fastener. It was used by the US army during the First World War. In 1923, B. F. Goodrich Company adapted the product. They renamed it the zipper, which later came to be known as ‘zip’.

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               The first safety pins were made in Greece and Italy during the 2nd millennium BC, by doubling a straight bronze pin, and connecting one end to the other. During the early days, the Romans used safety pins as brooches for fastening their cloaks and robes.

               It was in 1849 that the American inventor Walter Hunt introduced the modern day safety pins. However, his invention was accidental. After being issued a US patent, Hunt sold the patent to W. R. Grace and Company for $400.

               Coming to buttons, from the 3rd millennium BC onwards, they were made from wood, bone, and shell in the Indus Valley civilization. Back then, buttons were used for decorative purposes. Hand-made from precious metals, glass, or even gems, buttons became symbols of rank and wealth.

               It was during the 18th century that buttons were mass produced, using steel.

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