I checked out an umbrella book at my library and I read about the oldest Beach Umbrellas. Supposedly back in the 1800’s the British made some beach umbrellas that were all khaki color. These beach umbrellas were meant for the sand and sun of course. Beach umbrellas got more popular over the decades, popping up in America in red and yellow. The sizes changed drastically too. Over the centuries the oldest beach umbrellas were really large, over 90cm in total length. These were meant to be propped in the sand for shade, but over the years manufacturers cut the length down to something a person can carry along the shore.