Etsy - VintageTimeAfterTime Fabulous 1930S Kendall Umbrella With Chinoiserie Floral Motif Handle
Description
Fabulous 1930s Kendall Umbrella with Chinoiserie Floral Motif Handle Wet or dry this brolly looks simply fabulous. The reds of the gingham fabric look wonderful & to top it all there is the most gorgeous moulded & painted handle with a basketweave background with orange flowers in the chinoiserie style topped off by a shiny black knob. A beautiful collectible umbrella The mechanism is working beautifully with no structural damage. The canopy has three tiny holes but, apart from a little fading & some small marks, the piece is as bright as it would have been way back when. Some small issues then, but we would take this into the rain with no problem. We tested for waterproof qualities & we kept dry! The carrying strap & the elastic closing strap & button are all intact. You'll find the large round Kendall logo at the top, inside the brolly, visible (only to you) when in use. We have tested the handle & got a very strong positive for Bakelite. The brolly measures 66 cm / 26 inches long, the handle is 11 cm / 4.25 inches & the span when opened is 84 cm / 33 inches across approximately. & here's their advertising slogan... Don't forget when it's wet, Kendal keeps you dry Kendall & Sons was an umbrella, rainwear & ladies wear company founded in 1870, it was bought by Combined English Stores in 1977, & subsequently by Hepworths, a Leeds based menswear company. It was then converted into the Next ladieswear chain. Kendall & Sons was founded by William Wheeler Kendall in 1870. Born 1849, he came from a farming family near Market Harborough in Leicestershire who decided to travel to Leicester to find his fortune. He started selling umbrellas from a barber's shop in Northampton Street, & then manufactured them using Fox frames. The company expanded to over 100 stores by the 1960s & its umbrellas were sold the world over. On many occasions it supplied umbrellas to particular specifications to protect members of the Royal Family, & even supplied 5 umbrellas to the 1952 expedition which successfully conquered Everest. in 1932 the company moved into purpose built factory on 128 Charles Street, Leicester specifically designed with an eye to greater efficiency & staff comfort. Indeed special care was always given to the welfare of the staff. The company was one of the first to institute the tea-break with the tea provided free (15 minutes or 20 minutes during overtime) & a staff canteen. Between the wars one & a half hours was allowed for lunch after a poll of the staff to see whether they preferred working later & enjoying a longer dinner 'hour'. Regular staff trips took place with Kendall's taking the entire factory staff to destinations such as Cleethorpes, Skegness & Kenilworth. During the 20th century Kendall's continued to manufacture umbrellas, but also developed rainwear & ladies clothing retail lines. During the 2nd world war it manufactured machintoshes for the army as well as using the skills in handling silk built up over 70 years of the umbrella
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