Have you ever wondered why one of the most commonly used interior sunscreens has the rather odd name “Venetian blind”?
The blind originates from Persia
It sounds French, but the word also tells us that the blind originated in Persia – now Iran. Here, the use of blinds is recorded as far back as the 12th century, a thousand years ago.
From the Middle East, the blind moved with merchants to Venice, Italy. Venice was one of the greatest trading centers of its time. And it’s because of this “stopover” in Venice that Venetian blinds have been given the name “Venetian Blinds”.
But, no wait: the blind is even older!
Both Africa and Asia are familiar with the use of blinds. Here they were used in desert areas to shield from the baking sun and let in some air. In Egypt, blinds were made from reeds from the Nile; in China, bamboo was used.
It is said that a Persian slave freed in Venice brought the idea of wooden blinds to Paris. From here, the blind spread through Europe and later to the US. Photos from Independence Hall, where the American Declaration of Independence was signed, show many wooden blinds.
The invention of the modern blind
In 1841, John Hampson in New Orleans invented the blind technology we know today, where you can angle the slats to change both light and view. He patented the invention and the design hasn’t changed much since then.
We have to go all the way back to the 1900s to find blind manufacturing in Scandinavia. During this century, metal slats are also introduced. For many years, aluminum blinds have been the most popular. They are lightweight, take up very little space when pulled up and are easy to clean. But wooden blinds have once again become a popular choice, of course because they are a natural material, but also simply because they are beautiful.
The latest additions to the history of blinds are the motorized blind and the integrated blind, which is inserted between the window glass and therefore requires no maintenance
