With Study,
Determination, and Guidance, he Restores
Antique Parasols
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By Mary Brotherton
Brandon McKinney stumbled upon two old parasols in an antique mall.
Brandon keeps his collection in a giant 1830s Biedermeier cabinet he calls parasol Narnia, until they come out for exhibits.
“Oh, the days of finding parasols in the wild!” He bought them, researched, and discovered one was from the 1840s. “I was hooked,” he said. “I came across pieces that needed work and I started looking for ways to get them repaired.”
Details mattered. Brandon thought that with enough study, some determination, and guidance, he could do it himself. He started with a blank slate, a late 1850s English beech, folding parasol. “It took me two years to find the silk I felt gave it the right look, and I learned what stitches were used, though I had never sewn before.” Crediting Marta Vincent, his mentor and parasol godmother, Brandon said, “While we didn’t always see eye-to-eye, we shared a passion for the same thing, and I’ll forever be grateful for her guidance.”
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A Brevard County native, Brandon started exploring local history in 2004. He volunteers as a docent at Lawndale, the former home of Hiram Smith Williams, on the National Register of Historic Places. “I’ve also taken my umbrellas up into the attic of Lawndale for some fun photo shoots. I’ve loaned them to friends for events, but generally they live in their little cave.” Brandon has restored about 50 pieces, some taking more than a year to complete, due to the need to find the perfect components to bring them back to life.
Still refining his technique “You learn something new with each piece. I’m still refining my technique.” Included with the restored projects, Brandon owns almost 200 parasols, focused on two periods: 1845 to 1860, and 1868 to 1875. “Taking a broader look, my collection covers from roughly 1805 until 1935,
