Follow along with me as we go through the timeline of Window Treatments
1558 – 1603: In Tudor England of Henry VIII and during Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603) it was common for homes to have shutters. These were made of solid wooden boards.
1757: A French craftsman advertised blinds with adjustable slats.
1760: Englishman Gowin Knight developed and received a patent for the first ‘Dwarf Venetian blinds.’ A year later, Venetian blinds were installed in St. Peter’s Church in Rome. Meanwhile, in North America, Englishman John Webster began selling ‘Wooden Venetian Sun Blinds’ in Philadelphia.
1769: Englishman Edward Bevan patented the first Venetian blind.
1780: In America, window shades began appearing in homes and public buildings around 1780.
1794: Venetian blinds made from horizontal slats developed. It was given this name because they originally came from Venice, Italy.
1841: American John Hampson invented a mechanism for controlling the angle of the horizontal slats. Nearly all blinds hanging today operate using Hampson’s invention.
1855: 10 patents were issued for the spring roller.
1858 : A factory in New York would began producing spring roller shades.
1859 – 1861: Long before he would create his works of art, Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted window shades.
1936: Aluminum Venetian blinds were introduced by Kirsch.
1946: Henry Sonnerberg and Joe Hunter founded Hunter Douglas and first mass produced aluminum window blinds. They would sell the blinds by day and assemble them at night for their customers.
1947: Hunter Douglas produced more than 1000 independent fabricators in the USA and Canada.
1950: Edward and Frederick Bopp from Kansas City invented and patented the vertical blinds.
1970s: The 1” aluminum Mini-Blinds were introduced.
1975: A new louver system was developed that provided sun protection while maintaining a beautiful pleasing look.
1980’s: The wide-slatted wood and faux wood blinds gained popularity throughout the United States.
1985: The soft, durable, and highly-energy efficient Duette© Honeycomb Shades were created.
Please call Harvey for all your custom window treatments. 1-732-920-3817