Daniel Hewe's umbrella manufacturer advertisement...
Item # 725758
March 31, 1798
COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, March 31, 1798
* Daniel Hewes's Umbrella Manufacturer advertisement
The back page has an advertisement for the: "Boston Umbrella Manufactury" by Daniel Hewes. (see image)
Complete with all 4 pages, good condition.
background: Daniel Hewes’s 1798 establishment of the Boston Umbrella Manufactury at 57 Marlborough Street represented a pivotal shift in the American mercantile landscape, transitioning the umbrella from an elite European luxury to a locally produced necessity. In an era when umbrellas were often mocked as "effeminate" or dismissed as overpriced British imports, Hewes utilized the Columbian Centinel to market his shop as a hub of domestic craftsmanship, offering everything from high-end silk parasols to rugged, waterproofed oil-cloth versions suited for New England’s volatile climate. His business was uniquely sustainable for the time because it operated as both a factory and a service center; he didn't just sell new goods, but also "recovered and repaired" expensive whalebone and wood frames, making the technology accessible to a broader middle class. By positioning himself as a manufacturer rather than a mere importer, Hewes helped lay the groundwork for American industrial independence, proving that the young United States could produce its own specialized consumer goods to rival the fashion houses of London and Paris.
* Daniel Hewes's Umbrella Manufacturer advertisement
The back page has an advertisement for the: "Boston Umbrella Manufactury" by Daniel Hewes. (see image)
Complete with all 4 pages, good condition.
background: Daniel Hewes’s 1798 establishment of the Boston Umbrella Manufactury at 57 Marlborough Street represented a pivotal shift in the American mercantile landscape, transitioning the umbrella from an elite European luxury to a locally produced necessity. In an era when umbrellas were often mocked as "effeminate" or dismissed as overpriced British imports, Hewes utilized the Columbian Centinel to market his shop as a hub of domestic craftsmanship, offering everything from high-end silk parasols to rugged, waterproofed oil-cloth versions suited for New England’s volatile climate. His business was uniquely sustainable for the time because it operated as both a factory and a service center; he didn't just sell new goods, but also "recovered and repaired" expensive whalebone and wood frames, making the technology accessible to a broader middle class. By positioning himself as a manufacturer rather than a mere importer, Hewes helped lay the groundwork for American industrial independence, proving that the young United States could produce its own specialized consumer goods to rival the fashion houses of London and Paris.
Category: American
