Newbie needs help with Parasols please

Rosalind · Mar 7, 2021

Hi,
I'm hoping that I can pick your collective minds about 2 parasols that I have please? I'll post one at a time so I don't get confused :duh2:

It's got a leather handle and wrist strap, also a cover. It's got a spring mechanism to open it. The red and white sticker in the middle says "Raindew" and "Empire Made". It's approx 83cm long and 100cms across when open.

Other than that, I have no idea how old this is, who made it etc. Though Empire Made makes it sound like Victorian! Please help if you can. TIA

retro ruth · Mar 7, 2021

I think Empire Made often, though not always, means Hong Kong. Though could refer to other parts of the British Empire too, eg India, or other Commonwealth countries. It does sound Victorian, but actually is more likely to be from around the mid 20th Century or perhaps the 1930s. Apparently a hangover from the days when goods made in the empire paid less import tax than other imports into Britain. Conversely, goods from outside the empire were sometimes stamped 'foreign', which you sometimes see on Japanese made goods from similar periods.

I hope someone else can comment on the umbrella, datewise. It's a great colour!

Rue_de_la_Paix · Mar 7, 2021

While I am not a collector of these, I have handled a lot of antique and vintage umbrellas and parasols over the decades. Yours is an umbrella, meant for use in actual rain and wet weather. Without handling it, my guess is it is 1960s-1970s or even later. Are you sure the handle is leather and not faux leather? It certainly is a wonderful color.