Venetian blinds may have originated in Persia, not the canal city of Venice, Italy. Or, they may date all the way back to ancient Egypt. Wherever their birthplace, the Venetian blinds have served as decorative alternatives to curtains for nearly three centuries. They have undergone some style updates through the years--most notably the creation of the mini blind--but the basic concept of an adjustable array of horizontal slats remains unchanged.
OriginsSlatted blinds have existed for centuries. Ancient Eqyptians madeblinds from reeds, while the Chinese used strips of bamboo. The truestory of Venetian blinds' invention is unknown, but most experts datethe first examples from around 1760. Early Venetian blinds were made of2-inch wood slats suspended along cloth ribbons.
Legend
One legend says that early Venetian traders brought the shades homefrom Persia. Then, in the late 1700s, freed Venetian slaves who settledin France introduced the shades there. In France, Venetian blinds areknown as "les persienes."
Effects
Venetian blinds quickly gained popularity both in homes and publicbuildings. St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia covered its windows withVenetian blinds in 1761, and illustrations of Independence Hall alsoshow Venetian blinds. The RCA Building (today the GE Building) in NewYork City became the first large commercial building in the UnitedStates to use Venetian blinds after it opened in the early 1930s.
Popularity
Venetian blinds reached peak popularity in the United States in the1930s. In 1936, manufacturers in New York put $210 million worth of theshades on the market. The blinds were made of wood or metal in a widerange of colors and used in homes and businesses.
Innovations
John Hampson of New Orleans gets credit for inventing or patenting adevice to change the angle of a Venetian blinds' slats that continuesin use today. That device is usually a plastic rod near the top of theblind.
Types
Hunter Douglas was the first company to develop a light, aluminumVenetian blind in 1946.The mini blind, featuring a one-inch slat, cameon the market in the 1960s, followed in the 1990s by the half-inchmicro blind. Today, two-inch wood blinds have regained popularity
Bookmark with:
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
When we talk about Roman talks, a picture of calm, cozy room always come to our mind. That’s because Roman blinds are usually been made from fabric and the design usually provides that extra coziness to the room. If compare to the other types of blinds such as Venetian, Roman blinds are favorites among the hopeless romantics and usually used by couples to provide the “right mood” in their homes.