Dead Umbrellas
What's with the dead umbrellas?
It's not an unreasonable question really. What are dead umbrellas, and why do you write about them?
If you walk through the streets of any big city after a heavy rain fall, you will almost certainly see at least one broken umbrella - usually lying on a pavement or gutter. They are litter, discarded the instant they no longer serve their intended purpose, by people who would never dream of tossing a coffee cup or sandwich packet on the ground. The idea that it's culturally acceptable to drop a broken umbrella the second you can no longer use it fascinates me.
Gone are the businessmen of the 1950s, striding along with their bowler hats and expensive James Smith & Sons umbrellas, replaced by the £5 from Primark, "this will do" disposable fashion that is so commonplace today. If it breaks, just drop it where you stand and buy a new one. You don't even have to wait to find a bin.
So I write about, and take pictures of, dead umbrellas because they are ubiquitous and unnoticed, but also indicators of a weird anomaly in British culture that is somewhat unique.
If you walk through the streets of any big city after a heavy rain fall, you will almost certainly see at least one broken umbrella - usually lying on a pavement or gutter. They are litter, discarded the instant they no longer serve their intended purpose, by people who would never dream of tossing a coffee cup or sandwich packet on the ground. The idea that it's culturally acceptable to drop a broken umbrella the second you can no longer use it fascinates me.
Gone are the businessmen of the 1950s, striding along with their bowler hats and expensive James Smith & Sons umbrellas, replaced by the £5 from Primark, "this will do" disposable fashion that is so commonplace today. If it breaks, just drop it where you stand and buy a new one. You don't even have to wait to find a bin.
So I write about, and take pictures of, dead umbrellas because they are ubiquitous and unnoticed, but also indicators of a weird anomaly in British culture that is somewhat unique.
Copyright © 2015-2019