What is the Backstory of Awnings?
Read on to learn more about the backstory of awnings!
Any great story has an even greater backstory. Generally speaking, at least. Why it can’t be the same for awnings? In this blog we’ll go over the backstory of awnings. Did you know that awnings have been around far longer than you might have imagined? Read on to learn more about the backstory of awnings!
Historical records show us that awnings have been an idea since ancient times. The ancient Syrians and ancient Egyptians both used shades and awnings. Almost anything and everything could be equipped with an awning back then, whether it was something as small and humble as a caravan cart, or something huge and grandiose, like a coliseum or ampitheatre – both stadium style venues! Ancient awnings probably reached their peak with the Roman Empire. The Romans were supposedly the first people to invent the concept of the retractable awning.
After the era of antiquity faded away into myth and memory, awnings seem to have fallen out of favor. After some lengthy interval of time, awnings popped up again, this time for mainly residential use. In the 1800s however, commercial businesses began utilizing awnings again. Shops and storefronts started featuring awnings as recognizable outcrops of their business. Retractable awnings became even more useful and popular in the 1900s, since customers could come in and shop while protected against the elements, like wind, rain, sun and heat.
Canvas was the original go-to material used for awnings. But over time, especially as industrialization took over, new techniques allowed for the advent of new types of awnings. These new types of awning material included polyester, acrylic, vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum. All of these new materials brought exciting benefits with them, such as durability, sturdiness, and little need for constant maintenance.